Riding a three-game winning streak, the Cleveland Browns will travel to Denver this weekend to take on the Broncos. Earlier in the year, Denver was an absolute mess but they've turned things around over the past month. Russell Wilson has led them to four wins in a row and they look to get back in the AFC playoff picture with a win over Cleveland.
That's easier said than done, even with Deshaun Watson and Nick Chubb out for the year. The Browns have proven to be one of the most resilient teams in the NFL, which is why Kevin Stefanski is a front-runner for NFL Coach of the Year. One team will have their streak end and the Browns can make sure it's not them if they can make good on these four bold predictions.
4. Ogbo Okoronkwo gets a strip sack
This past week was a huge one for Ogbo Okoronkwo. A vastly underrated free agent signing this offseason, Okoronkwo became a father ahead of the Week 11 showdown. He then showed up for the game while still sporting his hospital bracelet.
On the field, he played like someone who was shot out of a cannon. Okoronkwo was firing off the line and found his way into the backfield constantly. He finished the game with five tackles, four of which went for a loss, and one sack. He added another quarterback hit for good measure.
It’s been some weekend for Browns DE Ogbo Okoronkwo.
— Browns fan UK (@brownsfanuk) November 19, 2023
Yesterday saw the birth of his first child.
Today, he sacks Kenny Pickett.#Browns x #NFL pic.twitter.com/E7dwnvkaoq
That means on the season, he now has 24 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 11 tackles for a loss, and 10 quarterback pressures. He’s done everything this team expected him to do and has been an excellent No. 3 pass rusher behind Myles Garrett and Za’Darius Smith. And there’s no sign that he’s going to slow down anytime soon.
That’s why this bold prediction has him getting into the backfield once again and making life tough on Russell Wilson. Denver has been playing well and Wilson is dealing, but Okoronkwo will do his best to derail them. He does that with a strip-sack in this one as the defense again does all they can to help Cleveland’s offense.
3. David Njoku makes up for his drops with 10 receptions
David Njoku deserves a lot of praise for his play as of late. Against the Ravens in Week 10, he was bowling defenders over like a man possessed. A huge reason Cleveland pulled off the victory was due to Njoku gaining extra yards after every reception.
He also came up big during the final drive against Pittsburgh and finished the day with 56 yards on seven receptions. However, he also had a few drops. One was in the end zone which led to the Browns settling for a field goal. Two were on the second-to-last drive and could have been devastating if the defense didn’t forced a quick three and out.
After the game, Njoku didn’t hold back. He said he was glad the team got the win but that he needs to be better. He added that he would be hitting the Jugs machine to work on his hands and head coach Kevin Stefanski said he even Face Timed him to show his dedication to improving.
Kevin Stefanski said TD David Njoku FaceTimed him from his house while working on the Jugs Machine last night. Njoku was very critical of himself after the game following dropped passes. Stefanski noted how big a catch he made on the final drive #Browns
— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) November 20, 2023
That’s the mindset Njoku has and it’s why he turned into one of the best tight ends in the game. He’s gone from being a suspect blocker to a huge asset in this department and now that he’s focused on eliminating the drops, there’s no reason to believe he won’t find success once again.
In this bold prediction, that’s exactly what he does. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who targeted Njoku 15 times last week, will keep throwing him the ball. This time, he will make the most out of those chances and finish with at least 10 receptions.
2. Myles Garrett records an interception
No player has meant more to the Browns success this season than Myles Garrett. In years past, he’s seemed to have issues with the defensive coaching staff and was at times unhappy. That’s not the case in 2023 and he’s not only thriving on the field, but he’s also become a great leader for this team.
Against the Steelers, he recorded his 13th sack of the season and is closing in on his record of 16. He should have also had a safety but the refs decided to gift Pittsburgh with a couple of atrocious spots to start the game. Despite being robbed of that can’t take away the fact that Garrett is the favorite for Defensive Player of the Year.
Even with that being the case, there’s still one thing Garrett has never done — record an interception. This bold prediction is that he does that, similar to what we saw a couple of weeks ago from Maruce Hurst. Against Seattle, the big defensive tackle batted a ball in the air and was able to chase it down and record a pick. This prediction is that Garrett does the same thing.
As was previously stated, Garrett is the favorite to win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. That will become even more likely if Cleveland makes the playoffs despite all the injuries they've had not only under center but to Nick Chubb as well. Adding an interception to an already insanely impressive stat line will only help solidify his ranking as the best defender in the league this year.
1. Dorian Thompson-Robinson has no turnovers, runs a TD
When Deshaun Watson was first sidelined, the Browns turned to rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson. He started in Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens and it wasn't pretty. Cleveland lost 28-3 and Thompson-Robinson finished 19-of-36 for 121 yards with no touchdowns and three picks.
He was replaced by P.J. Walker for the next couple of games while Watson dealt with his shoulder injury bit with No. 4 on the shelf for the season, Kevin Stefanski went back to DTR. The rookie claimed he was better prepared this time and vowed to be better. Cleveland won with him this past week and he had a stellar final drive that set up the game-winning kick.
However, his numbers weren't vastly better. This time, he was 24-of-43 for 165 yards with no touchdowns and one interception While it was great to see him protect the ball better, he still had far too many incompletions and didn't push the ball downfield at all. They also could have let him run the ball more since that was working when it was called.
This week, they'll likely need more from Thompson-Robinson and that should include more runs from the quarterback. So far, he hasn't taken off much with just seven rushes for 44 yards. In this bold prediction he not only protects the ball better and doesn't turn it over but he also runs in a touchdown, helping the offense take a step in the right direction.