With their 40-25 victory over the Baltimore Ravens last week, the Cleveland Browns moved to first place in the AFC North.
Now they'll try to stay there.
Doing just that, however, won't be easy as the Browns return to primetime action with a road matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Coming off a bye week, the 49ers lay claim to a 3-0 record, with advanced stats suggesting San Francisco might not just be one of the best teams in the NFC, but all of football.
But Cleveland can play as well against the 49ers as it did against Baltimore last week, the Browns just may belong in that conversation too.
Here's everything you need to know about the Browns' return to Monday Night Football:
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Game info, how to watch on TV, betting line:
Date: October 7, 2019
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.
TV channel: ESPN (national), 3News (local)
Live Stream: ESPN Watch
Radio: ESPN 850, 92.3 The Fan, 98.5 WNCX
Betting line: San Francisco -3.5
Over-under point total: 46.5
Key storylines
Believe the hype
After entering the 2019 season as one of the NFL's most highly touted units, it took a few weeks for the Browns offense to live up to its lofty expectations.
But following sluggish showings in losses to the Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Rams and even in a victory over the New York Jets, Cleveland showed last Sunday that there was some basis to all of that hype.
With Baker Mayfield throwing for 342 yards and Nick Chubb rushing for 165 yards and three touchdowns, the Browns offense looked like the high powered unit many expected it to be. It's also worth noting that Cleveland was able to accomplish all that it did with Odell Beckham Jr. being limited to just 2 receptions for 20 yards -- a sign that there's perhaps even another level the Browns offense is able to reach.
“Obviously, we were a little bit inconsistent the first couple of games, but we were able to pull ourselves and put ourselves right where we want to be – on top of our division with a division win," Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens said. "If we just keep building on that and become more consistent the rest of the season, we should be right where we want to be."
Still hurting
Through the first four weeks of the 2019 season, the Browns have been banged up and their Week 5 matchup vs. the 49ers won't be an exception.
In addition to starting cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams -- each of whom have missed the past two weeks with hamstring injuries -- the Browns could be without star receiver Jarvis Landry, who suffered a concussion in the win over the Ravens. It goes without saying that Landry would be a significant loss for Cleveland against San Francisco, especially if Rashard Higgins can't return from the knee injury that's cost him the past three weeks.
As for the 49ers, they'll enter Monday night's matchup relatively healthy. The absence of offensive tackle Joe Staley, however, could loom large for Myles Garrett and the rest of the Browns defensive line.
Callaway comeback
While the Browns could be without Landry and Higgins, the team's wide receiving corps will receive a boost from the return of Antonio Callaway, who will be making his 2019 debut after serving a four-game suspension to start the season.
Now in his second year with Cleveland, Callaways has shown flashes of being a dynamic playmaker capable of taking the top off of opposing defenses. In 16 games as a rookie, he tallied 43 receptions for 586 yards (13.6 yards per reception) and 5 touchdowns.
According to Kitchens, Callaway won't have to wait long to get back in the Browns' game plan. Considering the injuries to Landry and Higgins, they may not have any other choice.
“He has great acceleration into the ball," Kitchens said of Callaway. "Once he gets the ball into his hands, he can do something, too. It is always good to have guys who can do something with the football, and Antonio is definitely one of those guys. I am glad he is back.”
What's on the line
Typically, one would have to wait to see how Sunday plays out to determine what Monday means for the Browns, but with the Ravens (2-2) facing the Steelers (1-3), that rings especially true.
Should the Ravens beat the Steelers, Cleveland would need to beat San Francisco to keep pace with Baltimore in its race for first place in the AFC North. Meanwhile, if the Steelers beat the Ravens, a Browns victory would give them sole possession of first place in the division, while a loss would lock them into a three-way tie.
Prediction
This game is all about the Browns getting up early and forcing Jimmy Garoppolo to play from behind -- just as they did to the Ravens and Lamar Jackson a week ago. I'm expecting a big game from Beckham and a continued commitment to feeding Chubb the ball in what will likely be a close game.
Final Score: Browns 24, 49ers 18
