CLEVELAND — It’s only Week 7, but with the Cleveland Browns sitting at a disappointing 3-3, two games behind the Baltimore Ravens for first place in the AFC North, Thursday night’s game certainly appears to take on more importance than would originally meet the eye. Maybe the season isn’t quite on the line for the Browns, but it is about as close as it can be to that for a game this early in the season.
The Browns announced on Wednesday morning that they will be without quarterback Baker Mayfield due to a torn left labrum that was reinjured last weekend against the Arizona Cardinals and Case Keenum will replace him. The list of injuries for the Browns is far longer than just at quarterback, as running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt are both out with calf injuries, and more than a handful of guys are questionable as well.
Despite all the injuries, here are three keys to beating the Denver Broncos on Thursday night at First Energy Stadium.
CREATE TURNOVERS
Denver quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is questionable entering the game, but is expected to play for the Broncos. A key for the Browns is going to be forcing him into bad decisions. Bridgewater is thought of as a quarterback that’s relatively conservative with the football. The big plays for him tend to be somewhat rare, but so do the turnovers. Through his first four games of the season, Bridgewater didn’t turn the ball over once. However, in his last two games against Pittsburgh and Las Vegas, he’s thrown four interceptions and lost a fumble.
The Browns haven’t done a good enough job at creating turnovers this season, totaling only four takeaways in their six games, ranking tied for 28th in the NFL in that category. With the offense so short-handed, this is a game in which it is imperative the Browns not only win the turnover battle, but do so in a way that it puts the offensive in position to score on a short field more than once on the night.
TAKE ANOTHER STEP TOWARD THE SACK TITLE
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett is leading the NFL in sacks entering Week 7 action with eight on the year. Garrett has been a constant force this season, and getting to Bridgewater more than once on Thursday night could go a long way in helping the Browns win. The Browns have been abysmal on third down, ranking 28th in the league while allowing a 45.1 percent conversion rate to opposing offenses.
Garrett finding his way into the backfield more on Thursday night could help that number go down by either making the stop himself on third down or putting Denver behind the sticks on first or second down. Garrett’s quest for his first Defensive Player of the Year award is very dependent on not only his sack total, but also the success of the Browns on defense as a whole. While his sack total is in a good place right now, the team defense needs to be better, and Garrett stepping up even more is the best avenue to improve it.
FIND A WAY TO RUN THE BALL EFFECTIVELY
As mentioned above, the Browns are going to be without both members of the star running back tandem as Chubb and Hunt are both on the shelf with calf injuries. D’Ernest Johnson is making his first career start in the NFL, and there’s quite a bit of pressure on him to perform. While no one is expecting him to be Chubb or Hunt, the Browns are going to have to consistently be able to win the run plays they call, averaging at least four yards per carry.
With Keenum in at quarterback, keeping the team in front of the sticks is a must offensively. If the Browns are forced into too many obvious passing situations, things could get ugly for that side of the football -- especially depending on the status of wide receivers Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr., who are both uncertain to play with injuries. The other big key to watch here is whether or not Jed Wills and Jack Conklin are able to give it a go on Thursday. Both are listed as questionable with injuries. Having at least one of them on the field would go a long way towards solidifying the offensive line for the Browns.