5 Keys for a Cleveland Browns Victory over Chargers

The Cleveland Browns are hoping to bring their record to an even 2-2 after traveling to San Diego to face the Chargers on Sunday. And they can—there are already glaring vulnerabilities the Chargers have laid bare that the Browns can exploit.

But will they? It's a tall order. But if the Browns can execute the following five strategies on Sunday, they can escape California with a much-needed win. 

Pressure Philip Rivers

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According to Pro Football Focus, Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is the league's most accurate passer when pressured. He's had 34 pressured dropbacks this season, resulting in 24 completed passes for one touchdown and two interceptions. His completion percentage while pressured is 70.6 percent, and his accuracy rating while pressured is 84.4.

But it's also worth noting that pressure on Rivers has gotten home 10 times this season, with Rivers' 10 sacks the third-most taken by a quarterback so far this year. Football Outsiders ranks his offensive line just 27th this year in pass protection. It's a weakness the Browns must find ways to take advantage of.

The only problem? While the Browns defense has a total of seven sacks this season, all of them came in Week 2 against rookie Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota. It hasn't been able to pressure other quarterbacks the same way.

To halt Rivers, though, the Browns must be more aggressive with him and not just bring pressure, but actually earn sacks. Cleveland must take advantage of the Chargers' weak offensive line in order to take down their biggest offensive asset—Rivers.

Run the Ball

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The Browns had planned to be a run-heavy team on offense this year, but that has yet to come to pass. Through three games, the team has totaled only 259 rushing yards on 72 attempts and just one rushing touchdown. Collectively, the Browns are averaging just 3.6 yards per rush.

Cleveland's rushing leader is Isaiah Crowell, with 37 rush attempts for 128 yards and a touchdown. He's followed by rookie Duke Johnson, who has rushed 23 times for 68 yards.

Both Crowell and Johnson need to see heavy workloads on Sunday against the Chargers. San Diego has one of the weaker run defenses in the NFL, ranking 28th in rushing yards allowed (407), 24th in rushing touchdowns given up (four) and 30th in average opponent yards per rush (4.9).

Running the ball will help the Browns in two areas: One, it will take advantage of a clear weakness of San Diego's defense, and two, it will keep the football in Cleveland's hands and its defense off the field as much as possible. 

The Browns' run game hasn't established itself as of yet, but the Chargers defense presents a perfect opportunity for the team to get the most out of its Crowell-Johnson tandem.

Give Joe Haden Help

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There's little doubt that the Browns will have cornerback Joe Haden tracking top Chargers receiver Keenan Allen on Sunday. There's only one problem with this strategy: Haden has been having a bad 2015 so far.

Through three games, Haden has given up 15 completions on 21 pass targets thrown to receivers he's been tasked with covering, according to Pro Football Focus. He's given up 220 yards, 67 yards after the catch and two touchdowns on those 15 receptions.

Meanwhile, Allen has caught 29 passes on 39 targets this year for 315 yards and two scores, and he is averaging 105 receiving yards per game. 

Help for Haden will be needed, and not from struggling safety Donte Whitner, either. The Browns will need to have Haden and another cornerback tracking Allen. Though this will take resources away from the front seven, minimizing Allen's impact, in particular, will be necessary for the Browns to win this game. Haden alone will not be able to do it. 

Don't Fear the Pass Rush

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In just over one full game played, Browns quarterback Josh McCown has been sacked five times. Pressure has never been his forte, and the decisions he makes while under it have long been criticized.

The good news this week, though, is that the Chargers do not have a formidable pass rush. McCown should be able to stand in the pocket without hearing footsteps. San Diego has totaled only one sack through three games thus far, so it's hard to imagine the team suddenly finding success in that area against McCown and the Browns on Sunday.

A caveat: Football Outsiders has the Browns offensive line ranked 29th in pass protection, mainly because of the 10 total sacks (five for McCown, five for Johnny Manziel) it has allowed this season. As such, this week could provide the Chargers with opportunities to rush the passer that they haven't had in their previous three games.

But if the Chargers defense performs as it has in the last three weeks, there should be far less for McCown to worry about in the pocket when he's dropping back to pass.

Involve TE Gary Barnidge

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Browns tight end Gary Barnidge has quickly become a favored target for both McCown and Manziel. So far this year, he's been targeted 15 times, with 10 receptions for 160 yards and a score. And Barnidge will be key to the Browns winning on Sunday.

According to Football Outsiders, the Chargers rank 21st in the league against opposing tight ends, giving up an average of 56 yards per game to the position. Further, the Chargers are also last in the league when trying to defend passes over the middle of the field—not surprisingly where Barnidge has seen most of his targets this year, per Pro Football Focus.

So the Browns have a ready-made offensive strategy that will help them get the most yardage possible against the Chargers in the passing game. If the Browns target Barnidge regularly and exploit the Chargers' weakness in the middle of the field, their odds of winning on Sunday increase exponentially.