CLEVELAND — It's finally here! Week 1 of the NFL regular season and the return of the Cleveland Browns to the football field on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.
The game that has had all eyes on it since the Browns made the divorce from Baker Mayfield official by trading him to their week one opponent. A marquee matchup, up until this point, for everything except the x's and o's.
While storylines around the quarterbacks are grabbing the spotlight, many others involving the Browns defense linger in the shadows and will prove to play a big factor on their route to win their first week one game since 2004.
Here are three defensive keys to the game going into this weekend:
1. Can the Browns contain Christian McCaffery?
Understandably the fear many Browns fans are feeling right now centers around the dreaded "revenge game" Sunday is set up to be with Baker Mayfield under center for Carolina. Laying in the weeds, at least in the media coverage leading up to this matchup, is one of the most dynamic offensive threats the game has to offer when healthy in RB Christian McCaffery.
"When healthy" has been the only barrier in front of McCaffery in his 5 year career only appearing in 10 games over the last two seasons. However he's just two years removed from a season that saw him rack up 1000 yards both rushing and receiving. Only two other backs in NFL history have put together a season like that (Roger Craig and Marshall Faulk).
Containing Baker and forcing him into the bad decisions that plagued him in his 2019 and 2021 seasons certainly is important for Joe Woods and the defense. It'll be easier said than done when having to account for a healthy McCaffery.
2. Inexperience at the defensive tackle position
The Browns have invested heavily in the defensive end and cornerback positions financially and with high draft picks over the last few years. Pro-bowlers Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward still haven't reached their peak. Jadevion Clowney was excellent in his first season in a Browns uniform racking up 9 sacks and playing great in run coverage. Greg Newsome ll flashed big time potential as a rookie playing opposite of Ward. A lot to like on the outside of the defense.
A lot less is known about the tandems of defensive tackles that will take the field for the Browns to start the year in Jordan Elliot and Taven Bryan. Elliot has just 4 starts in his two-year career and Bryan just 17 in his 4-year career in Jacksonville. Bryan did not make any starts last year for the Jags. Not a ton of proven experience up the middle in a game that will likely feature Christian McCaffery as healthy as he's been since his historic 2019 season.
They won't be asked to do a lot in Joe Wood's defense but if they Panthers want to take advantage of the Browns aggressiveness in trying to put pressure on Mayfield, there is an obvious point of weakness up the middle.
3. Can Joe Woods scheme Baker into a mistake riddled performance?
This will be an emotional game. The quotes to the media from both sides about it being "just another game" may ring true for some when they take the field on Sunday, but there's too much recent history for the emotions to not play a factor. As much as a monotoned press conference would lead you to believe otherwise, these guys are still human beings with egos and emotions.
Baker has openly talked about playing with the chip on his shoulder going back to his playing days at Oklahoma. He wears his emotions on his sleeves. He handed a football to Hue Jackson on the sideline after his offense scored a touchdown against the Bengals defense Jackson joined as a coach just weeks after being fired by the Browns. Emotions drive everything Baker is as a player.
There's an opportunity for the Browns early in the game to rattle him, make him uneasy and put him on the backfoot. Baker Mayfield is a completely different player when he's playing out in front, comfortable and making sound decisions without having to play the hero. It's when that situation is flipped that the decision making starts to falter and the mistakes compound.
Rookie left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, #6 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, will protect Baker's blindside on Sunday. The Browns have two prolific edge rushers. I think the recipe speaks for itself.
Hey, I recognize him!
Along with Mayfield, three other former Browns will take the field for Carolina on offense Sunday. Fan-favorite WR Rashard Higgins, Austin Corbett will start at right guard and former 1st-round pick Cam Erving will backup starting right tackle Taylor Moton.
Thursday we will look at three more headlines for the Browns offense going into their week 1 matchup against the Carolina Panthers!
Editor's Note: The video above is an interview 3News' Nick Camino conducted with NFL Hall of Famer Tony Dungy about the Cleveland Browns upcoming season.
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