Browns seek rarified air: being over .500
The Cleveland Browns haven’t been over .500 this late in the season in nearly four years, but that drought will end on Sunday if they can beat the visiting Los Angeles Chargers at FirstEnergy Stadium.
The Browns, 2-2-1, are 2-0-1 at home. It is a record that deserves some perspective for a team that was 4-49 starting with the 12th game of 2014 through the end of the 2017 season. The 2-0-1 start is their best at home since they started 3-0 at was then Cleveland Browns Stadium in 2004. They finished 4-12 that season.
“This football team will fight,” Browns head coach Hue Jackson said. “We don’t do anything perfectly by any stretch of the imagination, but they work hard. They’re becoming something. If they will continue to take the coaching, keep working hard and keep doing the things that we’re asking them to do, we’ll have many more victories.”
The Chargers are 3-2. They have the most potent offense the Browns will have faced since playing the Saints the second week of the season. The Browns lost that game, 21-18.
The Chargers have scored at least 20 points in all five games this season. Philip Rivers has thrown 13 touchdown passes and only two interceptions. He is getting excellent protection; he has dropped back to throw 180 times and has been sacked only six times. Rivers is 6-4 vs. the Browns with eight touchdown passes and one interception.
Linebacker Joe Schobert believes playing the Chargers in FirstEnergy Stadium could give the Browns an edge. Not only are the Browns unbeaten at home this season; the weather in Cleveland on Sunday is forecast to be an un-Los Angeles like mid-50s with a chance of rain.
“As a defense, I think that we’ve been trying to establish our identity this year – smash mouth, get after the passer, create takeaways and be able to limit what the other team does well,” Schobert said. “For the most part this season, we’re playing some pretty good offenses, and we’ve been able to do that.
“Especially playing at home, we’ve been pretty lights out so far this year. It’s definitely a source of pride, and it’s something that you look to continue improving upon.”
Jackson has wanted the Browns to be a running team since he took over in 2016, but that plan would always be thrown out early because the opponent usually led by 14 or more points by halftime. That would put even more pressure on the inexperienced (or ineffective) Browns quarterbacks tasked with leading a comeback.
The Browns have not had that problem for the most part this season. They trailed the Steelers, 7-0, led the Saints, 6-3, trailed the Jets, 14-3, led the Raiders, 17-14, and led the Ravens, 6-3, at the respective halftimes. Rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield ignited the comeback over the Jets to establish himself as the starting quarterback.
Getting into a shootout Sunday with Rivers would not benefit the Browns. A low-scoring, tight game will allow offensive coordinator Todd Haley to utilize running backs Carlos Hyde, Duke Johnson Jr. and Nick Chubb.
“I think we can compete with any team in this league,” Hyde said. “We have a really good group of guys and things are definitely going up for us. As long as we keep fighting the way we’ve been fighting and keep working the way we’ve been working, things will work out in our favor.”
Hyde leads the Browns with 348 yards rushing and five rushing touchdowns on 100 carries.
SERIES HISTORY: 27th regular-season meeting. Chargers lead series, 16-9-1. The Browns won the last two times the Chargers visited Cleveland. The Chargers were the only team the Browns beat in 2016 before going 0-16 last season. In that Christmas Eve 2016 game, former Browns defensive tackle Jamie Meder blocked a field goal to help the Browns win, 20-17.
