5 Adjustments Cleveland Browns Must Make in Week 2 Matchup with Titans

It was an unpleasant start of the season for the Cleveland Browns, who fell in Week 1 to the New York Jets, 31-10. Nearly everything that could go wrong, did. From starting quarterback Josh McCown suffering a concussion on an opening drive that also ended in a turnover, to the Browns committing 12 penalties for 109 total yards and the team turning the ball over five times. That's not a way to win a football game.

But it was just one week. There is time and capacity for change. Here are five adjustments the Browns will need to make this week in anticipation of hosting the Tennessee Titans on Sunday afternoon.

Stopping the Run

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Priority No. 1 for the Browns during the offseason was to find a solution to the team's longtime issues with stopping the run. Last year, Cleveland ranked last in run defense, allowing an average of 141.6 yards to its opponents. Things didn't get any better in Week 1 against the Jets—in fact, they got worse.

The Browns gave up 154 rushing yards to the Jets, partially because New York was leaning on the run game to control the clock and its growing lead, particularly in the second half. So one way for the Browns to limit the damage the Titans can do on the ground on Sunday is to not allow them to build a significant points lead, lest they will see a heavy dose of the run. The Titans totaled 124 rushing yards on 32 attempts against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week.

The key will be to set the edge. In the Titans' win over the Buccaneers in Week 1, backs Terrance West and Bishop Sankey did the majority of their damage on runs on far right and left ends, according to Pro Football Focus. That may mean the Browns use a heavier dose of hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker Armonty Bryant, who graded out as one of Cleveland's best run-stoppers against the Jets, per PFF.

Being stout up the middle with defensive tackle Danny Shelton taking on multiple would-be run-blockers will also be a big part of the Browns' run defense approach this week. But setting the edge to contain West and Sankey will be crucial if the Browns are going to improve their lot against the run in Week 2.

Bring Pressure

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Browns head coach Mike Pettine and his defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil are no spring chickens in the world of the NFL. And they know how to make life uncomfortable for opposing quarterbacks. That should be a top priority on Sunday against the Titans, given that Tennessee is bringing rookie passer Marcus Mariota into town.

Mariota had a stellar Week 1 debut against the Buccaneers, completing 13 of his 16 pass attempts, for 209 yards and four touchdowns, ending the day with a perfect passer rating of 158.3. But he did take two sacks. And pressure is always a good way to put an inexperienced quarterback on his heels.

The problem? The Browns didn't manage a single sack of Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick last week and struggled to bring any sort of pressure on him. But Tennessee's offensive line isn't comparable to the Jets' and the Browns have a much better, more experienced defense than Tampa Bay's.

The best way to mess with a young quarterback like Mariota is to throw defensive formations at him that he's never seen before, and one option of doing so is via the blitz, where pass-rushers can be disguised. As a rookie, Mariota needs a "welcome to the NFL" moment, and coaches like Pettine and O'Neil may be able to design that up for Sunday.

Regardless of the quarterback, the Browns need to start bringing more pressure up front, but Mariota gives them an even better opportunity to establish that aggressiveness in Week 2.

Limit Mistakes

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What killed the Browns more than anything against the Jets in Week 1 were the numerous mistakes, namely penalties and turnovers. The Browns turned the ball over a collective five times, while they also racked up 12 penalties for 109 yards, most of them on offense.

The only way a team can win with negative plays like that is if the opponent makes more of them. And that's not something worth banking on, ever. The Browns simply must clean up these sloppy mistakes in order to win games. They can do everything else right on Sunday against the Titans, but if they again commit numerous penalties and turnovers, a win isn't going to happen.

These are mental lapses by the Browns' players that they simply have to avoid making on Sunday. Penalties are about player discipline—individual discipline, as well as collective discipline. The coaches can pound into their skulls all week long about how much these penalties and turnovers can cost the team, but it's up to the players to absorb and execute.

Establish and Lean on the Run Game

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In Week 1, the Browns' two leading rushers were quarterbacks Johnny Manziel and Josh McCown, even though the latter was out of the game after Cleveland's first series with a concussion. In total, the Browns rushed 28 times for 104 yards against the Jets, and ran the ball only nine times in the second half of the game.

Granted, part of the reason for abandoning the run in the final two quarters had to do with the Browns playing catch-up in the points column, with the Jets ultimately winning, 31-10. But the Browns struggled to establish the run early with their running backs; in the first half, Isaiah Crowell ran 10 times for 21 yards, a 2.1 yards-per-carry average and rookie Duke Johnson had just three rushes for 10 yards, averaging 3.3 yards per carry.

In total, the Browns' three backs—Crowell, Johnson and Shaun Draughn—combined for only 20 carries for 46 yards, a 2.3 yards-per-carry average. Though the Browns may not be as run-heavy an offense as we anticipated earlier in the offseason, this is still not the type of run-game identity this offense had been planning.

Running can control the clock, keep Marcus Mariota off the field and, when executed properly, move the chains. The Browns need to establish the run early and not abandon it too quickly. It's one thing if the Browns find themselves down 21 points again; the run will have to fall by the wayside. But there needs to be adjustments made, whether in play calling or offensive line assignments, to allow the run game to make a mark against the Titans.

Finish in the Red Zone

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The Browns managed only two red-zone appearances against the Jets in Week 1 and both ended in failure—no points, two turnovers. If red-zone scoring opportunities are going to be few and far between for the Browns this year, they need to work on finishing those drives that land them within their opponents' 20-yard lines.

Finishing has been a struggle for the Browns for years—finishing in the red zone, finishing games in the fourth quarter, finishing tackles and getting defensive stops on third down among them. It's typically the last hurdle oft-struggling teams have to clear in order to turn their fortunes around.

The Browns must capitalize on every scoring opportunity they get on Sunday. While it's impossible to expect any offense to score touchdowns on 100 percent of their red-zone possessions, the Browns cannot go 0-of-2 every week and expect to win.

Whether that means establishing tight end Gary Barnidge as an end-zone target or getting more creative with the usage of Duke Johnson, the Browns have to find ways for red-zone appearances to lead to more points and fewer turnovers.