Browns vs. Jaguars: Breaking Down Cleveland's Game Plan

The Cleveland Browns' mental fortitude will be tested on Sunday as they try to knock off a winless Jacksonville Jaguars team they should beat. That won't be easy, especially coming off a huge win against division rivals the Pittsburgh Steelers. The main component of the Browns' game plan on Sunday should be to stay in the moment.

It is easy for young players to overlook an opponent or begin to think about the winnable stretch of games ahead which could launch them into the playoff race. Head coach Mike Pettine needs to pound the “one play at a time, one game at a time” mantra into his team’s collective head this week.

“Part of it is the challenge of playing the Jaguars, and the other part that I tell our guys this week is that we play to all our standards,” Pettine said to the media on Wednesday afternoon. “We want to make sure that we’re playing to the level we know we’re capable of and the high standards we set as a staff.”

The Browns will be facing a team that has no wins but poses plenty of danger. Rookie quarterback Blake Bortles has been handed the keys to the season and looks pretty darn good. He is coming off his best game as a pro in which he threw for 336 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Despite the fact that Jaguars look like they may have found their quarterback, he is still a rookie. The Browns need to pressure Bortles and force him into poor decisions. Stopping the run is always a focus, but the Jaguars like to throw. Bortles has dropped back 37, 36 and 46 times in the last three games.

If the Browns can create pressure and confuse the young quarterback, he should turn the ball over. While he is currently sixth in the NFL in completion percentage, he also has seven interceptions in the four games he has played.

The Jaguars are also trotting out the second-worst defense in the NFL. They are decent against the run but absolutely abysmal against the pass. They are allowing nearly 300 yards per game through the air, so there should be plenty of opportunities for quarterback Brian Hoyer to have a good day. As always, look for the Browns to establish the run early and use that to build their play-action passing game.

Let’s take a look at the guys who will decide the game on the field and figure out who has the competitive edge.

The Competitive Edge

Quarterback

Hoyer is playing at such a high level right now that the only debate about his job is whether or not he will sign a contract extension with the Browns. He has the eighth-best quarterback rating, sixth-best yards per attempt, best yards per completion and has thrown just one interception this season. Hoyer is executing the play-action passing game to perfection and has the Browns tied for the ninth-best offense in the league.

Edge: Cleveland

Running Back

David Richard/Associated Press

The Browns' backfield is so deep that they were able to leave their leading rusher inactive against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Rookie Isaiah Crowell has the second-best yards per rushing attempt in the NFL, and Ben Tate looks worth every dollar they spent on him this past offseason. All those things combined have the Browns as the third-best rushing attack in the league.

Edge: Cleveland

Receivers

Despite the fact that the Browns receiving corps has performed well above expectations to this point in the season, the Jaguars get the nod in this category. They have one of the most talented young groups in the league. Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns are all bright young stars, and Cecil Shorts III has returned from his hamstring injury; when healthy, he is one of the most dangerous receivers in the game.

Edge: Jacksonville

Tight End

Last week was the 2014 coming-out party for Jordan Cameron, who caught three balls for 102 yards and a touchdown. Cameron has been battling a shoulder injury and now has nine catches for 205 yards and a touchdown on the season. Jim Dray has also been a nice addition to this group, catching seven balls for 91 yards and a touchdown.

Edge: Cleveland

Offensive Line

The Browns suffered a huge blow to their line on Sunday when center Alex Mack was carted off the field and diagnosed with a broken fibula that will need surgery. Fortunately they did not miss a beat when John Greco slid over to center and Paul McQuistan stepped in for Greco at guard. It was Greco’s first-ever game action snapping the ball, but not even Hoyer knew or could tell that was the case.

Edge: Cleveland

Defensive Line

The Browns have a much more talented line than the Jaguars but unfortunately are riddled with injuries. Phil Taylor is still out after having a knee scope, and Armonty Bryant was placed on injured reserve this week after tearing up his knee. Now the injury report has three more names on it: Billy Winn did not practice Wednesday, Ahtyba Rubin was limited and Desmond Bryant was a full participant but still on the report.

Edge: Push

Linebackers

This too is a push because there is talent on both sidelines but neither group is playing at the level needed for a top-tier defense. The Jaguars have one of the most productive linebackers in the league in Paul Posluszny. He is fifth in the NFL with 57 tackles. The Browns' group has underperformed but had a much better game on Sunday. Karlos Dansby had 11 tackles and a sack, Christian Kirksey has a pass defended and Craig Robertson had a tackle for loss.

Edge: Push

Defensive Backs

Sunday’s victory was a huge market correction for the Browns secondary. After being shredded by Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers' passing game in Week 1 they limited their rivals to just 221 passing yards. They also forced a Big Ben interception. Joe Haden played his best game of the year, and Donte Whitner was a factor for the first time this season. Unfortunately, undrafted rookie K’Waun Williams left the game with a head injury and is following the league’s concussion protocol.

Edge: Cleveland

Special Teams

The Browns still have not found an answer to their punt return woes, but their punter is among the most efficient in the NFL. The Jaguars, however, are solid across the board. Kicker Josh Scobee has not had many opportunities this season but is very accurate. Jordan Todman is a dangerous kick returner as well, averaging 26.6 yards per return this season, good for fifth in the NFL.

Edge: Jacksonville

Browns Offense vs. Jaguars Defense

The strength of the Jacksonville defense is stopping the run. They have allowed just 117 yards per game, which is good for 19th in the league. That is their strength, which should tell you just how bad this team is defensively.

The Browns should be able to pound the Jaguars into submission with the run game with no problem. Teams which have lost hope for the season such as the Jaguars can have their spirits broken on the ground fairly quickly.

Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan will give the Jaguars a heavy dose of ground game complemented by the play-action passing game which has been so effective for Hoyer and the Browns. If the Browns can continue to take care of the football and move down the field in chunks, the Jaguars have little chance of stopping them.

The worry in games like this on the road against bad football teams is that play can get sloppy. If the Browns give the Jaguars easy points early and allow them to hang around, they could end up being knocked off and losing a winnable game. The Browns need to bury the Jags early and make sure they have no hope heading into the fourth quarter.

Browns Defense vs. Jaguars Offense

The Jaguars' best shot at winning this game is catching the Browns sleeping early. The Browns have been awful in the first quarter this season, and Hoyer is playing his worst football when the game begins. The Jaguars will try and jump on the Browns early so that they have to scrape back into the game.

This could be very similar to the Tennessee game two weeks ago if the Browns are not careful. In that game the Browns came out flat, and the Titans built a huge halftime lead. It took the biggest road comeback in NFL history for the Browns to escape with a win.

The Jags will try and establish a ground game with Storm Johnson, but he had a rough go of it last week. Despite lofty expectations as the main rusher for the Jaguars, Johnson gained just 21 yards on 10 carries last week. He was outrushed by Bortles and Denard Robinson.

This could be less on Johnson and more on an offensive line that is as bad as you will find in the NFL. They are dead last in rushing yards per game with 70 and struggle against the pass rush as well. They allowed six sacks last week and have already allowed 19 on the year.

The Browns just need to play a smart, composed game early, and things should take care of themselves. There is always some worry when you are playing a team with its back against the wall, but this should be the type of game the Browns can dominate.

Special Teams

When facing a bad football team, you never want to give it any advantage it wouldn’t normally have. Jordan Todman is good enough to give the Browns fits in kick coverage and will need to be a point of emphasis. If the Browns can limit his impact and not allow him to reverse field position too often, things should be OK.

It looks like the Browns have cleaned up most of their special teams woes. At this point all fans dressed in brown and orange hold their breath every time that unit takes the field. Let’s hope the worst of the season is behind them.

What They’re Saying

"I can see where people on the outside would question it. I get that. But considering my situation, it was a chance I wanted to take." — Jaguars receiver Cecil Shorts III on rushing back from his hamstring injury because he is in a contract year.

“It couldn’t be further from the truth. There’s no accurate information. I’ve never talked to that guy in my life. From here on out, my main focus is Jacksonville. If you guys want to talk about that, you can talk to the guys upstairs or my agent, Joe Linta.” — Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer on the report from Bleacher Report's Jason Cole that he would not sign a contract extension if Manziel is on the roster.

Browns’ Wednesday Injury Report

Did not participate: Offensive lineman Joe Thomas (rest) defensive lineman Billy Winn (quad) cornerback K’Waun Williams (concussion) wide receiver Rodney Smith (hamstring) safety Tashaun Gipson (thigh)

Limited: Linebacker Paul Kruger (back) offensive lineman Nick McDonald (wrist) defensive lineman Ahtyba Rubin (ankle)

Full Participation: Running back Ben Tate (finger) linebacker Barkevious Mingo (shoulder) defensive lineman Desmond Bryant (wrist)

This Week’s Game Stats and Facts

Last week the Browns topped the Steelers, 31-10, which marked the largest victory by the Browns against a division opponent since the AFC North was formed in 2002.

Over the past six quarters, Cleveland has outscored its opponents 50-10.

The Browns are the only NFL team with three players with 200-plus rushing yards (RB Ben Tate, 243, Isaiah Crowell, 237, Terrance West, 235).

Brian Hoyer is leading the NFL with an average of 13.6 yards per completion this season.

All quotes and observations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Game stats and facts are courtesy of the Browns’ communications department.