FRIDAY INJURY REPORT
CLEVELAND BROWNS
–OUT: LB James Burgess (knee)
–QUESTIONABLE: TE Seth DeValve (hamstring), S Damarious Randall (heel), QB Tyrod Taylor (concussion, back)
OAKLAND RAIDERS
–OUT: S Karl Joseph (hamstring)
–QUESTIONABLE: DT P.J. Hall (ankle), CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (hamstring)
PLAYER NOTES
–QB Derek Carr leads the AFC with a 76.6 completion percentage (85 of 111) and is second in the conference with 936 yards passing.
–WR Jordy Nelson caught six passes for 173 yards and a touchdown last week. Since 2011, he has five games with 150-plus yards receiving and a TD catch, tied for fifth among active players.
–TE Jared Cook leads NFL tight ends with 260 yards receiving.
GAME PLAN: Rookie first-round pick Baker Mayfield will be the center of attention for many NFL fans after coming off the bench to lead the Browns to their first win in approximately forever, and in so doing upstaging New York Jets No. 3 drafted QB Sam Darnold. The Raiders have been inconsistent on defense, but expect to have rookie defensive tackle P.J. Hall back in the lineup to at least give them another person in a rotation that has been brutalized in the fourth quarter.
The Raiders must forget they ever had old what’s-his-name wearing No. 52 (Khalil Mack) with the Chicago Bears and figure out how to get more pressure on quarterbacks.
This week, the Raiders need to be disciplined in their pass-rush lanes because Mayfield is in his comfort zone when flushed from the pocket, somewhat like Seattle’s Russell Wilson.
On offense, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has shown he regained his formidable passing touch and the offense has keyed well on mismatched receivers most the time. But sometimes discretion is the better part of valor and defenses really don’t like to get beat up by runners like Marshawn Lynch and Doug Martin. A balance of thunder and lightning might keep the Raiders offense in control.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: K Matt McCrane. He gets the nod over rookie DT P.J. Hall returning or T Donald Penn, if he escapes concussion protocol. McCrane is a virgin in NFL regular-season games. He was 4-for-4 in preseason with Arizona and at Kansas State had field goals of 53 and 54 yards. He practiced at the Coliseum, where the field still includes a dirt baseball infield for the A’s. “I’m from Texas, originally, West Texas, so I’ve kicked off dirt before,” said McCrane who converted 86.4 percent of his field-goal attempts (57-for-66) at Kansas State.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
–Browns WR Jarvis Landry vs. Raiders CB Rashaan Melvin. Landry already has 20 catches for 278 yards. He is still looking for his first touchdown with the Browns. Landry is the first player quarterback Baker Mayfield will look toward in a pinch.
–Raiders rookie LT Kolton vs. Browns versatile edge rusher Myles Garrett. Kolton faced the most talented defensive line against the Rams in Week 1, then Denver’s Von Miller in Week 2 and now he will try to shut down Garrett, a hyperactive beast who is tied for the NFL lead with four sacks.
