CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Browns’ offense has been in turmoil since Thanksgiving. KP Stefansky’s team has averaged 450.5 yards per game and 308.3 pass yards per game in his last four outings. To put it in perspective, the Kansas City Chiefs are leading the league with 427.9 yards per game this season.
He ranks eighth in the offensive division, eighth in both runs and passes, and 11th in the league per game, according to Football Outsiders.
They are also efficient, ranking fifth in drive success rate and seventh in points per drive.
The Browns are peaking aggressively at exactly the right time of year, as Stefansky and his players continue to grow together in this system. Expect more aggressive fireworks against the defense on Sunday with 30 or more points given in nine games.
Continue air strikes
New York, surprisingly, is not bad for defending the run. Now, the flip side is that they have not only lost one of their best run defenders for Quinn Williams season, but they are getting Florence Fatukasi back from the COVID-19 list. The Jets Pro Futb .L Focus is the fifth-best run defense and they are the eighth in the Run Defense DVOA over the Football Outsiders. He ranks 14th in a rushing yard per game but eighth in a yard per attempt.
Brown, in theory, is made to run the ball against anyone, but with the recruitment of Nick Harris Wyatt Taylor, they are missing the key in their run game. The Jets defense, meanwhile, is missing Brian Poole and Javelin Gidry has been listed as a suspect, so there’s no reason Mayfield and Co. shouldn’t be able to effectively advance the ball through the air.
Sam Darnold experience
Darnold is coming out of his best game of the season with Sunday’s win. He completed 22 of 31 passes for 207 yards and a score. He got his second best game grade from the PFF this season. That was perfect, considering the Jets-Esk time they were barred from landing by replacing him in the draft, until a win over the Rims took him out of the driver’s seat for the No. 1 pick and Trevor Larens.
The Jets really have the only chance if Darnold stays warm and plays somewhere close to the player they think they are getting when they pick him two places in 2018 after Baker Mayfield. Darnold is a picture of inconsistency. In his career he has played 12 multi-touchdown games and nine multi-interception games. He has thrown four touchdown passes once in a game and four interceptions twice in a game. He has exactly as many games with less than 200 passing yards as he has games with more than 200 passing yards.
It hasn’t been great for Darnold, but if he’s not in love with Justin Fields, the Jets could try to make a case for giving him one more year in the next two weeks.
Organizing a war for the North
The “keep their cake and eat it too” scene for the Browns is to win on Sunday, enlisting the help of the Giants or Riders (playing Saturday night in Las Vegas Miami) and the Colts beating the Steelers. That means they get a playoff spot and still have shots to win the AFC North.
Alternatively no help can be found, there will still be a shot at AFC North next week but depending on the various circumstances it should make a potential win-go-home. In this supernatural year, when even a key player who has tested positive for COVID-19 at the wrong time can get out of the game, it would be better to play the division crown from where the playoff spot is already locked.
–
New Browse Faces Masks for Sale: Here you can buy Cleveland Browns-themed face masks for coronavirus protection for adults and teens, including single masks (. 14.99) and 3-packs (. 24.99). All NFLs are donated to the CDC Foundation.
More Browns coverage
Landry: Despite being cowardly, Garrett still interrupts practice in time
Wills Jr. placed on the COVID-19 reserve; ‘Likely’ he will face the Jets
Harrison is unlikely to face the Jets on Sunday
Browns vs. Jets: Forecast poll for 16 weeks
Harrison’s return is just in time for the Browns
Stefansky discussed Nick Chubb, a career hunt, in a conference call
Mayfield is in a better place this Christmas to bring joy to Browse fans
Chase 1,000: Where Nick Chabb and Cream Hunt are after the 15th week
