3 Browns Players Who Must Step Up for Cleveland Playoff Push

The Cleveland Browns sit in a tie for second place in the AFC North at 2-3, but they could have an even better record if they prevented some mistakes.

All three of Cleveland's losses came in games that were decided by three points or fewer.

The Browns do not have a superstar quarterback on the field right now in Jacoby Brissett, but he has done enough to make the team competitive during the Deshaun Watson suspension.

But for as well as he has played, Brissett is one of the main reasons why the Browns enter Week 6 at 2-3 and not either tied with the Baltimore Ravens, or in sole possession of first place in the AFC North.

Brissett is one of a few players who must fine-tune their play in order for the Browns to remain competitive into the second half of the season, whether it be in the division title race or in the wild-card hunt.

Jacoby Brissett

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CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 09: Cleveland Browns quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) on the field prior to the National Football League game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Cleveland Browns on October 9, 2022, at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Jacoby Brissett completed at least 20 passes and threw for over 200 yards in each of the last four games.

Those numbers should be good enough to keep the Browns ahead in games, especially if the ground attack takes over late and keeps the ball away from opponents.

However, Brissett has been a bit careless with the ball in the final stanza. All three of his interceptions occurred in the fourth quarter.

Brissett's first interception ended a last-ditch attempt to win against the New York Jets in Week 2. In Week 4, he was picked off by the Atlanta Falcons on a potential game-winning drive in which the Browns moved the ball over midfield.

On Sunday, Brissett was intercepted in the red zone by the Los Angeles Chargers. The Browns earned one more chance to attempt to win the game, but that was only after a defensive stop occurred.

Brissett could have led the Browns to victories in Weeks 4 and 5 if he avoided turning the ball over at a crucial juncture of the game.

You could make the case that the Browns should be 4-1 right now, but instead, they enter Week 6 with the need to clean up a few mistakes to avoid more close defeats.

Denzel Ward

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CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 09: Mike Williams #81 of the Los Angeles Chargers catches a pass in front of Denzel Ward #21 of the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 09, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Denzel Ward has some rough numbers in the Cleveland passing defense.

Ward has allowed 14.8 yards per completion and 8.9 yards per target. He gave up a catch on 60 percent of 30 balls thrown in his direction.

Ward has never given up more than 13 yards per completion in the first four years of his NFL career.

The good news for Ward is that he has not conceded a touchdown on balls thrown directly at him, but that is about the only stat going in favor of the cornerback right now.

Cleveland's overall passing defense has not been terrible. The Browns have held four of their five opponents under 250 passing yards.

Ward has been a liability in an otherwise solid passing defense. He must improve in one-on-one coverage in the coming weeks if the Browns want to be serious contenders in the AFC North.

Baltimore and Cincinnati are coming up in Weeks 7 and 8, and both passing units could target Ward on a healthy basis to create large margins on the scoreboard.

David Bell

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CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 22: David Bell #18 of the Cleveland Browns rushes ahead of Cameron Sutton #20 of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 22, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Cleveland needs at least one more player to emerge as a consistent target in the passing game.

Rookie David Bell only has five catches, but he has been on the field for over 40 percent of the offensive snaps in two of the last three weeks.

The Browns need Bell to develop into a reliable No. 3 or No. 4 option for Brissett so that he can attack defenses properly when Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones are covered.

Cleveland knows exactly what it will get out of its two-headed rushing attack of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Cooper and Peoples-Jones have been consistent targets for Brissett as well.

Kevin Stefanski and his staff need to work Bell into more plays so that he feels more comfortable when the Browns need him to make a big play or two during the second half of the season.

Bell's development in the offense could escalate in the coming weeks as the Browns try to match what the Ravens and Bengals have in their respective passing attacks.

Developing a deeper offense will only help Brissett in his attempt to win more games as a starter, and it will help in December when Deshaun Watson returns from his suspension.

If a handful of established options are already in place for Watson, Cleveland could make a late push at one of the AFC wild-card spots.