Browns vs. Jets: Full Cleveland Game Preview

NFL Locker rooms are a little quieter this week as final cuts have been made and the walkthroughs and dress rehearsals are over. This is it, the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets will take the field Sunday to compete for their first victory of the season.

Browns rookie defensive tackle Danny Shelton said things are much “quieter this week” and that it feels like the “calm before the storm,” per Kevin Jones of ClevelandBrowns.com.

Shelton said he attributed that to a greater focus by the team. Let’s hope it’s focus. The Browns have traditionally been slow starters, losing each of their opening matchups over the last 10 seasons.

That’s a decade of starting their season without a victory.

And right on cue, let’s talk about something equally depressing. On Sunday, quarterback Josh McCown will become the 23rd quarterback to start for the team since its reincarnation into the NFL in 1999. On an even more troubling note, he will attempt to become the first quarterback to actually finish an entire 16-game season since Tim Couch did so in 2001(!).

The Jets are a team that's built similarly to the Browns, and one that has also had its fair share of quarterback problems over the past decade.

We’ll get more into the details of this winnable opening-day matchup in the following slides.

Viewing Info 

Location: MetLife Stadium; East Rutherford, New Jersey

Time: 1 p.m. ET

TV: CBS

News and Notes

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Mike Pettine Wants to See Production ‘Soon’ from Terrelle Pryor

Some may have been confused with the Cleveland Browns’ decision to keep converted quarterback Terrelle Pryor on their 53-man roster as a wide receiver after final roster cuts last weekend. But all along the team seemed like it wanted to give the Pryor project a chance.

That chance, though, may have an expiration date. Head coach Mike Pettine didn’t sound worried about the 6’4”, 223-pound Pryor’s ability, but did make it known the receiver’s opportunity might be fleeting, per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal:

"

Terrelle’s here because he showed that promise and that potential, but once you make the 53, you have to be a productive member of the team. It’s hard to just have that be a project for a year, so we are looking for the returns on that investment to be a little bit sooner than later.

I think he’s shown that he’s capable of it, but for him, it’s about being consistent, knowing what to do, being available from a physical standpoint, then going out there and executing. He’s going to get every opportunity in practice to do that.

"

After earning a spot on the team’s 53-man roster, Pryor’s next step is to dress with the 46 active players on Sunday. Doing that won’t happen if he’s not rewarding Pettine’s staff for their good faith with solid practice performances throughout the week. Staying healthy and off the stationary bikes probably wouldn’t hurt, either.

If Pryor can get put it all together to get onto the field Sunday, there’s little doubt his size and athleticism would be a big help to the Browns.

Browns Have Plans to Address Lack of Running Back Depth

Trading Terrance West to Tennessee last weekend was surprising after the second-year running back and former third-round pick made the team’s 53-man roster. But the team not signing another running back for depth has been even more befuddling.

According to a Wednesday report by Adam “The Bull” Gerstenhaber from 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland, the Browns are close to filling that void with recently released running back Montee Ball.

Ball, the NCAA's all-time rushing touchdowns leader and former 2013 second-round pick of the Denver Broncos, was released and cleared waivers over the weekend.

Later Wednesday, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plainer Dealer corroborated that report, saying Cleveland was one of several teams interested in Ball. Cabot said a signing was not imminent, but that Ball was on the team’s radar if it decides to sign another running back.

With only Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson on their depth chart, the Browns are likely going to be linked to a number of available free-agent running backs.

The team could end up signing Shaun Draughn from its practice squad if necessary.

Latest Injury News

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

Player	Position	Injury
Dwayne Bowe	WR	Hamstring
Joe Haden	DB	Hip
Justin Gilbert	DB	Hip flexor
Pierre Desir	DB	Concussion
Duke Johnson Jr.	RB	Concussion
Chris Kirksey	LB	Groin
Johnny Manziel	QB	Elbow
Barkevious Mingo	LB	Knee
Marlon Moore	WR	Ribs
Nate Orchard	LB	Back
Terrelle Pryor	WR	Hamstring
Mitchell Schwartz	OL	Thumb
K'Waun Williams	DB	Abdominal

All Injury information courtesy of ClevelandBrowns.com.

The good news for the Cleveland Browns is that Duke Johnson and Pierre Desir have completed concussion protocols and returned to practice Wednesday, per Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. That puts them on schedule to play Sunday.

But like the rest of the team Wednesday, Johnson and Desir were in shorts for the noncontact evaluation. They were also listed as limited participants, along with nine others. It’s easier to list the players who weren’t limited than those that were. Mitchell Schwartz and Marlon Moore appeared on the Browns injury report, but both were full participants Wednesday. We’ll see if Moore (ribs) is limited or not once hitting resumes later in the week.

Nate Orchard said it felt great to be back on the field and running and that he anticipates being 100 percent for Sunday’s game in New York, according to Dan Labbe of Cleveland.com. Orchard also noted that he had some back issues in college, but never missed any games as a result.

Backup quarterback Johnny Manziel has thrown since being rested for elbow soreness. He has felt some of the same this week, but he should be ready to go as the team’s backup quarterback, coach Pettine said, via Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald.

Key Matchups

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

Browns Receivers vs. Jets Secondary

After giving up the third-most passing touchdowns in 2014, the New York Jets cleaned house in their defensive backfield. The end result was something resembling one of the best-looking secondaries in the NFL, at least on paper.

Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, Buster Skrine and Marcus Gilchrist were brought in to help youngsters Calvin Pryor and Dee Milliner bolster an otherwise stout defensive unit.

The Cleveland Browns’ unheralded receiving corps will be the new group’s first test. Again, on paper, the Browns don’t scare very many teams with any one of their skill position players. But as a whole, the group may be effective. They feature shorter receivers, those who are skilled in small-area quickness and separation.

Revis is easily one of the best in the game, but Cromartie and Skrine—as the Browns know—have been susceptible to giving up big plays. In a game like Sunday’s matchup, a breakdown in coverage or a couple of big plays could be the difference in winning or losing.

Browns Front Seven vs. Jets Offensive Line

How improved will the Browns be in the second season of Jim O’Neil’s defensive scheme? That could easily be determined Sunday against what we think will be an effective Jets rushing attack. Last year, the Browns ranked dead last in the NFL while giving up over 140 yards per game on the ground. The Jets fielded the 13th-best offensive line last year, per Pro Football Focus rankings.

The changes that have been made for the Browns aren’t big, unless you look at rookie nose tackle Danny Shelton—he's a big young man. Veteran defensive lineman Randy Starks has also added a disruptive element to the team’s base 3-4 defense.

Having the group healthy to start the season is also a plus. We saw them struggle in the second half of 2014 as starters began dropping like flies due to injuries.

If Chris Ivory runs wild like many rushers did a season ago, Sunday will be a long and disappointing setback for a defense that seems to be trending upward.

X-Factor

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Browns X-Factor of the Week: Tramon Williams

New Cleveland Browns defensive back Tramon Williams will likely be tested with Pro Bowler Joe Haden playing opposite him. Haden has excelled against big-bodied receivers like New York Jets wideouts Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall. That means Ryan Fitzpatrick might turn his sights on the 32-year-old veteran on the other side.

Williams, who signed a three-year, $21 million contract during the offseason, earned a positive grade and was ranked 34th overall out of 108 eligible cornerbacks in 2014 by Pro Football Focus.

He also has experience in the slot if K’Waun Williams continues to have issues with his abdominal injury or needs a breather. Trotting out Pierre Desir or Justin Gilbert on the outside would allow Williams to make his presence felt in multiple positions.

Williams showed he’s still durable and competent on the field, recording over 1,000 snaps—all from outside corner positions—and missing no games last season.

Prediction: Browns 17, Jets 16

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

For as much as people talk about the Cleveland Browns being a dysfunctional organization, very little attention has been directed at the New York Jets.

We all seem to forget the team changed general managers, head coaches, had its starting quarterback punched out and subsequently placed on injured reserve and then had a high-speed pursuit involving star defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson, who was already suspended the first four games of 2015 for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

So let’s not present the Jets as a model of virtue and stability in light of recent issues surrounding the Browns. That said, the Jets do have a team that closely resembles the group general manager Ray Farmer is putting together in Berea, Ohio. It’s a team built with a brick-and-mortar philosophy, a solid base, ample playmakers but no real stars and an adequate veteran quarterback at the helm.

Josh McCown is coming off a rough year playing behind a porous Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive line. Meanwhile, Jets starter Ryan Fitzpatrick is 3-1 for his career against Cleveland with an 83 passer rating.

Neither team is in ideal position with those two leading their resspective offenses; no one was beating down their doors to sign either of those guys this offseason. But lucky for both sides, they did sign the signal-callers, because the alternatives—Johnny Manziel for Cleveland, Matt Flynn for New York—aren’t very appealing right now either.

This matchup could end up being up being a field-goal competition. It’ll come down to a competent defense versus a quarterback who has been there before in the fourth quarter, playing with the game on the line. McCown’s capability to evade and extend plays with his legs will help the Browns enough to set up a Travis Coons field goal in the final minutes. The first-year kicker will make a name for himself by hitting it and giving the Browns their first season-opening win in 11 years.

Final Prediction: Browns 17, Jets 16

Mike Hoag covers the Cleveland Browns for Bleacher Report and is the managing editor of Browns Beat.