Scouting the Enemy: Cleveland Browns

The Denver Broncos host the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football. Here is a deeper look at their Week 13 opponent.

The Denver Broncos host the Cleveland Browns in Week 13 for Monday Night Football.

After back-to-back wins against the Atlanta Falcons and Las Vegas Raiders, the Broncos are now 7-5 on the season and have a two-game lead over multiple teams for the final spot in the AFC’s competitive playoff race.

A win against the Browns would give them three-straight and help them maintain their edge with respect to the playoffs. What players do they need to account for on both sides of the ball and what will it take for them to snag a much-needed victory? Let’s take a deeper look and find out.

2023 Cleveland Browns Review

Last season the Browns finished with a 11-6 record which was second-best in the NFC North. It earned them a wild card playoff spot, but they were drubbed by the Houston Texans in that game. The finished the season having the 10th ranked offense in points scored and 16th in yardage. Defensively, they were 13th in points allowed and 1st in yards allowed.

2024 Offseason Moves and Acquisitions

The Browns made a handful of signings in free agency, but adding quarterback Jameis Winston and linebacker Jordan Hicks were their two biggest of note. Most everyone else has been a reserve or depth player that hasn’t made much of an impact for their team.

Due to lacking picks from the Deshaun Watson trade, their 2024 Draft Class was rather lackluster and nobody from it has been a major factor in helping them this season. It’s part of the reason they have only won a handful of games.

The Browns Offensive X-Factor: Jerry Jeudy — Wide Receiver

The Browns have really struggled on offense this season. They are in the bottom three in the National Football League with respect to yardage and points. Though there has been one relative bright spot for them this season. For this week’s matchup, I’ve chosen a familiar face to fans across Broncos Country—wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.

Jeudy leads the Browns in targets with 78 on the season. He has reeled in 45 of those for 645 yards and 2 touchdowns. Thirty-one of those catches have gone for first downs. Those aren’t elite numbers, but he has been one of the more consistent producers at wide receivers over the past several weeks.

He may have a tough go of it on Sunday going up against his former teammate Patrick Surtain II. Surtain is playing at such a high level he is earning serious consideration for Defensive Player of the Year. Nevertheless, the Broncos can’t afford to let Jeudy have a big revenge game against them. Shutting him out of their passing attack is a must if the Broncos want to come away with a ‘W’ on Monday Night Football.

The Browns Defensive X-Factor: Myles Garrett — EDGE

There is no doubt that Myles Garrett is one of the premier defensive players in all of football. The five-time Pro-Bowler and All-Pro has been on a tear this season and already has ten sacks on the season. Quite simply, he is a player that can change the entire dynamic of a game and one that every team has to add in extra help to defend against.

The Broncos have done a good job protecting Bo Nix this season and are one of the best rated groups in the league. With Nix being limited in participation this week in practice due to a back injury, it’ll be crucial to keep him upright and clean for the game. In order for the Broncos to move the chains on offense, finding a way to neutralize the Browns’ best player is absolutely crucial.

Whether it’s against the pass or the run, Garrett is a disruptive force who can cause a lot of havoc if he isn’t accounted for. Expect the Broncos to utilize some heavy sets and extra lineman in personnel packages to keep him at bay. For whatever its worth, I think the Broncos will run a lot and run play action opposite of wherever Garrett winds up aligning.

How the Broncos can secure a victory over the Browns

The Browns are coming off an impressive victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers and have also beat the Baltimore Ravens this season. Sure, they are only a three-win team, but they’ve taken down two of the best teams in the AFC. I’m not going to underestimate Cleveland despite their 3-8 record.

I think the recipe for success is establishing the run and forcing turnovers. The Browns are giving up nearly 140 yards on the ground the past several weeks. It’s also an area the Broncos have struggled to be consistent at all year long. In order to make a serious push for the playoffs and be effective in December, running the ball efficiently will be mission critical for Denver’s playoff hopes as the season winds down.

On defense, I’d love to see Vance Joseph continue to be aggressive and get after Jameis Winston with blitzes. Their offensive line has been very inconsistent and have given up a lot of sacks. They are also dealing with a few injuries that could impact their starting lineup come Monday. I expect this to be a tough challenge, but one the Broncos will wind up winning.

Hart’s Prediction: Broncos 27, Browns 17