Three Matchups To Watch When The Cleveland Browns Play The Washington Football Team

With the Cowboys, and Colts on the horizon — and the Steelers and Ravens undefeated — the Browns’ Week 3 matchup against the Washington Football team is important in their quest to keep pace with their divisional foes.

The Browns and the Football Team have inversely reflected each other’s results through two weeks. While the Browns got thumped 38-6 by Baltimore in Week 1, the Football Team surprised the NFL by coming back from a 17-0 deficit against the Eagles. In Week 2, the Cardinals humbled Washington 30-15 while the Browns showed signs of an explosive offense against the Bengals. 

Both teams can learn a lot about which performance is closer to their real identity in this Week 2 matchup. Here are three matchups that will determine what discoveries are made. 

Browns O-line vs. Football Team Pass Rush 

The Football team has spent four of its last five first-round picks on defensive linemen. And through two games this season, that investment appears to be paying off. 

Washington leads the NFL with 11 sacks through two games. Eight of them came during Week 1 against a banged-up Eagles offensive line, but the three they managed against Kyler Murray was still the 10th most in the league during Week 2 — impressive considering Murray is a difficult scrambler to contain. 

Conversely, the Browns rank seventh in team pass block win rate, ESPN’s pass-blocking metric that determines how often players and teams prevent a defender from beating his blocker in less than 2.5 seconds. The Browns have kept opposing rushers at bay for at least that long on 65 percent of snaps this season. 

Like the Football Team’s pass-rushing numbers, though, the Browns’ positive blocking trends could be influenced by one opponent. Through two weeks, the Bengals have recorded just two sacks, and only the Lions (19 percent) have won a smaller portion of their pass-rushing matchups than Cincinnati (30 percent).

Essentially, both teams are still learning about these particular units. But Washington’s draft history suggests that their pass rushers are, at least, a talented group. That’s enough to test the Browns’ offensive line, which will get a boost from right tackle Jack Conklin’s return this week. 

Browns Corners vs. Terry McLaurin

Meanwhile, the Browns secondary can’t seem to stay healthy. As Kevin Johnson returns this week from the lacerated liver he suffered in August, Denzel Ward is questionable with a groin injury. Greedy Williams hasn’t played a game yet. 

Ward’s status will be something to monitor if the Browns want to contain Football Team wide receiver Terry McLaurin. Since Washington drafted McLaurin last season, he is its only receiver to record 100 yard receiving yards in a game. So if you contain McLaurin, you can probably contain the Redskins’ passing offense. 

Ward is the best-suited Brown for that job. When Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow targeted A.J. Green with Ward in coverage, Burrow only completed two-of-seven passes for 14 yards. If Ward can’t play, though, the Browns could be in trouble. McLaurin is coming off a seven-catch, 125-yard performance against the Cardinals, who employ eight-time Pro-Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson. 

Both teams vs. Third down

Cleveland vs. Washington is, strangely, one of four matchups this week between teams that rank in the bottom 11 in third-down conversion percentage. At 30 percent, the Football team is the worst third-down offense in the NFL. At 40 percent, the Browns rank 22nd. 

Ironically, Cleveland also ranks 22nd in third-down defense. Opponents have converted 48 percent of third downs against the Browns this season, and that does not include the five fourth downs the Bengals converted last week. 

Much of Cleveland’s offensive third-down woes came in Week 1, when it converted just three of 12 third downs. The Browns bounced back with a 62-percent conversion rate against the Bengals, but Washington has been the seventh-best third-down defense (holding opponents to a 38 percent conversion rate) in the NFL through two weeks. 

For all the individual matchups, Sunday’s game could just as easily be decided by which team executes best in key moments.

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