Not so often does America get to watch the Cleveland Browns during the late evening on FOX. This is perhaps the first time the Browns will be featured in America's Game of the Week on FOX against America's Team, the Dallas Cowboys. Tom Brady makes his debut in this game as a color commentator alongside Kevin Burkhardt, who will broadcast the play-by-play.
Both teams are coming off playoff seasons that were concluded with shameful first-round exits. Both teams come into this matchup with elite defenses but revamped running games. Cleveland comes in with a more experienced, durable offensive line, while Dallas comes in with a much better, consistent passing attack. These are two talent-ridden rosters managed by solid coaching staffs, and each team has an elite pass rusher to use as their ace card to attack with. The Cowboys feature Micah Parsons, and the Browns feature Myles Garrett.
This game is most likely going to become a defensive struggle between these two teams. Both defenses finished inside the top 5 in total defense last season, with the Browns' defense finishing at number one and the Cowboys' defense finishing at number five. You may recognize more changes with the Cowboys' defense as they will have Mike Zimmer replacing Dan Quinn as their new defensive coordinator, who is expected to throw in more disguised blitzes, more base run coverages, and a lot more moving around with Micah Parsons everywhere on and near the line of scrimmage. The defense will use real linebackers inside the box to stop the run with the signing of Eric Kendricks, a longtime decibel under Zimmer's defense back in Minnesota, and the draft pick of Marist Liufau from Notre Dame to make up for the loss of Leighton Vander Esch, as he was medically forced to retire.
The Browns' defense finished 2023 with the sixth most sacks in the league with 49, and they should be expected to raise that number this season with more pass-rushing signings. Those free agent signings include defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson from the Jets, defensive tackle Maurice Hurst from the Raiders, linebacker Jordan Hicks from the Cardinals, and linebacker Devin Bush from the Seahawks. This growing defensive line will be a huge challenge for Dallas' young and elderly offensive line, which lost Tryon Smith to the Jets and is left with the decaying talents of Zach Martin but has young stud Pro Bowl lineman Tyler Smith. Their running game has even turned elderly with the return of Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook, who both have regressed for the past two seasons, while Bernard Pollard went off to become a Tennessee Titan.
The key factor that will dictate which team will more likely come out of this matchup with a win would be who can pass the football better with both of their running games going on without their star ball-carriers. That puts binoculars on this game's most anticipated matchup between Cleveland's Pro Bowl corner, Denzel Ward, and Dallas' newest million-dollar man, CeeDee Lamb. The rest of the Browns' secondary, with Martin Emerson instantly becoming one of the game's best slot cornerbacks and Greg Newsome II being a solid sidekick shutdown corner to Denzel Ward. The other Cowboys' pass catchers include veteran wideout Brandin Cooks, one of pro football's most unsung players, and third-year tight end Jake Ferguson, coming off his first Pro Bowl season and destined to go back many times down the line.
The Browns' offense should be able to fair a little better in this game with the Cowboys not having DaRon Bland for Week 1 to reunite with Trevon Diggs. But Jourdon Lewis should fill in nicely, and Malik Hooker plus Donovin Wilson covering the backend of the secondary. The Browns will not have one, two, or three, but four legitimate pass catchers in Amari Cooper, David Njoku, Elijah Moore, and newly acquired Jerry Jeudy from Denver. New offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey is expected to bring precise execution from Buffalo to Cleveland with great wisdom that he can provide for Deshaun Watson like he did for Josh Allen in Buffalo and Cam Newton in Carolina. The Browns will be without Jedrick Wills Jr. and Jack Conklin for this game but still remain one of the best o-lines in the league with arguably the best guard duo in the league with Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller. Second-year tackle Dawand Jones comes in with All-Pro potential and is already expected to start at right tackle in Week 1 anyway. Containing Micah Parsons is one thing, but doing that and preventing DeMarcus Lawrence from getting to Watson is another. If Deshaun Watson and Ken Dorsey want to break through Dallas' armored defense, it is suggested that they possess the ball as long as they can and keep the chains moving. Do that with a mixture of medium and short passing plays and runs outside of the seams between Jerome Ford and D'Onta Foreman.
Whoever wins this game, it won't be an easy win. Expect a lot of blitzing from both defenses and not a lot of big plays being made on offense. Both offenses should know that the defenses they face aren't willing to give up any opportunity for scoring or gaining first downs. The Browns come in with the best third down and fourth down defense in the NFL from 2023, allowing 29.1% of third downs and 40% of fourth downs converted last year. The Cowboys' defense was only ranked 14th in third-down percentage and 18th in fourth-down percentage in 2023, but that should change with Mike Zimmer's defensive scheme and having real linebackers this time. For example, in baseball, the team that wins will be the team that can get on base more. Don't think home run every time you're up at bat. Something that both offensive coordinators Ken Dorsey and Brian Schottenheimer should take into account for this game is to let the big play opportunities present themselves and, when they do, take them.
Commenti