5 Realistic Expectations for Cleveland Browns' Week 2 Matchup

The Cleveland Browns have their home opener on Sunday, when they'll play host to the Tennessee Titans. The hope is that the Browns can earn their first win of the season and clean the taste of last week's loss to the New York Jets out of their mouths.

So what can we expect to see from the Browns this week? Let's look at it from a realistic perspective.

Run Defense Will Struggle

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Just drafting a player of Danny Shelton's talent isn't going to be enough to completely reverse the Browns' woes in terms of defending the run. That much was evidenced by the Browns giving up 154 rushing yards to the New York Jets last week.

The Titans are trying to find ways to protect rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota while he gets comfortable in the NFL. One way to do that is to run the ball early and often, so the Browns need to expect that Bishop Sankey and Terrance West will be getting significant touches.

Stopping the run is a work in progress for the Browns, and there will be some hiccups along the way. Though they should do better than they did in Week 1, don't expect Cleveland to suddenly hold the Titans to under 100 rushing yards on Sunday.

A More Cautious Josh McCown

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If quarterback Josh McCown plays on Sunday—which he should, as long as he's cleared for Friday practice, per head coach Mike Pettine—don't expect him to be as reckless with his health as he was against the Jets. A promising Browns drive ended last week because McCown tried to run in a touchdown, but instead he was upended, concussed and ultimately fumbled the ball away.

McCown cannot afford to be as reckless this week—not just for his sake, but for the Browns'. This also means being more mindful of the football and avoiding turnovers, as well. Though the Browns will be in relatively capable hands if Johnny Manziel is forced back into the game, the Browns would much prefer a healthy McCown under center. That means McCown needs to hold up his end of the bargain.

Isaiah Crowell's Next Big Chance

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Browns running back Isaiah Crowell had a disappointing start to his season last week, rushing only 12 times for 20 yards and 1.7 yards per carry. This was partly because of the Jets' stout run defense and partly because the Browns found themselves in such a deep points deficit that they were forced to turn away from running the ball.

Luckily for Crowell, the Titans' run defense does not rival the Jets'. And as long as Tennessee doesn't get out to a quick and sizable lead, Crowell should manage to get more carries and more yards.

Will Crowell "be that back that guys don't want to tackle," as Pettine challenged him to be on Thursday? He'll at least have a chance to try against a Titans defense the Browns can decidedly run on.

Pressure on Marcus Mariota

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Cleveland's defense didn't record a sack against Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick last week, but its drought won't continue into Week 2. A rookie quarterback like Marcus Mariota plays right into the hands of head coach Mike Pettine and defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil.

Creative blitzing, strange defensive formations that Mariota has never seen before and disguised coverages are all things the Browns can employ to make Mariota's day a long, bad one. Defensive-minded coaches love taking on rookie passers because there are so many more opportunities to make plays than against veterans who have been around the block.

Pressure might not be in Mariota's face all day, but when it's there, it should get to him. It's the nature of this defense against inexperienced passers.

Browns Will Earn INTs

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Another benefit of pressuring a quarterback—particularly a rookie—is that pressure up front can lead to mistakes when throwing the ball. Rattling Mariota even when it doesn't result in a sack will still cause him to hurry his passes, toss ill-advised footballs and ultimately set himself up to be picked off.

Browns safety Tashaun Gipson recorded an interception of the Jets' Ryan Fitzpatrick last week, though he fumbled it away and lost it to Jets receiver Brandon Marshall. That was just an appetizer for what we can expect to see from Cleveland's defense (and its secondary in particular). Mariota will be ripe for the picking, pun absolutely intended.