Cleveland Browns vs. Seattle Seahawks: Full Seattle Game Preview
The Seattle Seahawks are on a high-flying roll after four straight wins—and have a nice chance to keep rolling against the Cleveland Browns at home in Week 15.
Seattle holds the record advantage in the all-time series between these two teams at 11-6. The last time they played was in October 2011, with the Browns taking the victory 6-3.
In 2015, the game should end a little differently, to say the least.
The Browns have been dismal for most of this season and currently sit at 3-10. Their third win of the season came last week against the San Francisco 49ers in a game the Browns completely dominated.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks are coming off a road-drubbing of the reeling Baltimore Ravens. Seattle beat the Ravens 35-6 in Baltimore's first double-digit loss of the season.
Sunday's matchup against the Browns is clearly a favorable one, and it's important for Seattle to defeat Cleveland the same way it did Baltimore—convincingly and without mercy.
Continue reading to find out what to watch for in this late-season contest.
Location: CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Wash.
Time: 1:05 p.m. local (4:05 pm. EST)
TV: Fox 13
Week 14 Recap
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The Seahawks helped solidify their postseason chances by annihilating the Ravens, improving to 8-5 on the season.
But the win came at a large cost for Seattle, as undrafted rookie running back Thomas Rawls left the game on the Seahawks' first possession with a broken ankle.
The injury means Rawls, who rushed for 830 yards and four touchdowns, will miss the rest of the season.
Thankfully for the Seahawks, quarterback Russell Wilson continued his historic passing streak, tossing five touchdowns for the second time in three weeks. As has been the case recently, Seattle rode its explosive passing offense to victory against the Ravens.
This isn't to say the defense didn't play well. The Ravens were held to a franchise-low four rushing yards in the first half of last week's contest and only scored six total points. Cornerback Richard Sherman intercepted Baltimore quarterback Jimmy Clausen, although Clausen did post 274 passing yards.
In other NFC West news, the Arizona Cardinals have clinched a playoff berth. But the division has yet to be won.
If the Seahawks keep winning and the Cardinals lose this weekend, these two teams could theoretically play each other for a division title in Week 17, when Seattle will travel to Arizona for the regular-season finale.
Either way, though, it seems like the Seahawks are going to the playoffs, whether that be as a division champion or a wild-card team. Seattle currently sits firmly in second place in the NFC West at 8-5.
Seahawks News and Notes
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Running backs rotate
In the midst of a potential Super Bowl run, the Seahawks are not messing around with personnel moves.
Just ask running back DuJuan Harris, who was cut from the team on Tuesday, according to Field Yates of ESPN.
Harris lost a fumble not long after replacing Rawls in the game against the Ravens. And although Harris ran hard after fumbling, his 18-carry, 42-yard performance apparently wasn't enough for the Seahawks to give him another shot.
In related roster moves, the Seahawks have reportedly brought back running backs Bryce Brown and Christine Michael, per Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk.
These are both solid moves in the wake of Rawls' injury.
In 14 games with the Seahawks from 2013-14, Michael only rushed for 254 total yards but did average close to five yards per carry, which is an encouraging number.
Michael does not have a rushing or receiving touchdown in his NFL career.
Brown, who has been on and off the Seahawks roster this season, gives Seattle a dual-threat running back. While Brown is not the complete running back Rawls is, Brown can be thrown into the Seahawks offense in a similar fashion.
In two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, Brown rushed for 878 yards and six rushing touchdowns. He also averaged 6.7 yards per reception as an Eagle, although he didn't catch any touchdowns.
The fact that both of these running backs already have some familiarity with Seattle's offense shouldn't be understated. It might be the main reason they've been brought back to the team.
This late in the season, there isn't time for players to get acquainted with schemes and systems. Bringing back Brown and Michael in place of an ineffective Harris was a good Seahawks move.
Seahawks can clinch a playoff berth in Week 15
As hard as it may be, the 12th Man should be rooting for the St. Louis Rams on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
A Tampa Bay loss, according to a list of five playoff-clinching scenarios on Seahawks.com, is essential for Seattle to secure a playoff berth this weekend. That link lays out all five scenarios which, of course, are complicated and involve multiple teams.
What's less complicated to talk about is the remarkable Seahawks turnaround in 2015. If you had asked someone in October if Seattle was a playoff team, that person might have laughed at you.
Now, as the Seahawks prepare to enter the postseason tournament, Seattle is the only one laughing.
The Seahawks organization's keen knack of finding talent in, or even after, the NFL draft is remarkable and has paid big dividends this season. Rawls is the most noteworthy example of this, but other players such as defensive lineman Frank Clark and wideout Tyler Lockett also help round this point out.
If the stars do indeed fall into place on Sunday and the Seahawks do clinch a postseason berth, the organization and its fans have reason to celebrate—the resilience of this team is special.
Injury News
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The Seahawks sustained a number of injuries in the game against the Ravens. Below are a few short notes and some analysis based on head coach Pete Carroll's comments from a Wednesday Seahawks.com article.
Kam Chancellor
Carroll said that Chancellor, who is dealing with a pelvis injury, is still sore and that the strong safety would be "real quiet"on the practice field Wednesday. It's unknown at this point as to whether or not Chancellor will play against the Browns.
The good news is that the Seahawks should be OK this week, even if Chancellor doesn't play. Seattle should be able to disrupt the quarterback enough so that even a banged-up secondary can make some plays.
Chancellor's injury may have a bigger impact for the games after this week, depending on its severity. Seattle plays the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals—both teams the Seahawks have already lost to—to finish the regular season.
Seattle's defense has been a better unit since Chancellor's early-season holdout ended. The Seahawks need him back in those two final games more than they need him against the Browns.
Michael Bennett
Bennett has a toe injury, but Carroll believes he'll be ready to go for this week's game.
Bennett's presence greatly benefits Seattle's pass rush. He has a high motor when chasing the quarterback, which is perfect for this week's matchup against Johnny Manziel.
He, Cliff Avril and rookie Frank Clark form an imposing pass rush.
Luke Willson
The Seahawks tight end suffered bruised ribs against the Ravens, but Coach Carroll said that he could play this weekend after practicing Wednesday, according Seahawks.com.
Willson's presence would give his quarterback another familiar face to throw to on Sunday if nothing else. But more importantly, Willson needs to get as many reps as possible headed into a postseason run—he is the starting tight end with Jimmy Graham gone for the year.
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Key Matchups
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Seattle running game vs. Browns run defense
Running backs Brown and Michael return to the Seahawks just in time for a great matchup to get their feet back underneath them.
The Browns have, plainly, been awful against the run in 2015. In 10 of 13 games, Cleveland has surrendered at least 100 rushing yards on defense. In seven of those 10 contests, opponents have posted 150 or more rushing yards on the Browns.
Those kinds of statistics don't make for many wins. Cleveland has three on the season.
And that's why the Seahawks running backs must have a dominant performance on Sunday. If Seattle's "new" backs can't exploit Cleveland's run defense, then the Seahawks could be in trouble moving forward.
But that shouldn't be the case on Sunday, especially with the way Seattle's front five has played recently. The offensive line should, in theory, manhandle Cleveland's front four and pave the way for the Seahawks to become the eighth team to rush for 150 or more yards on the Browns.
Effective running always ties into a winning game plan, but this week, running the ball is more about establishing a rhythm and rapport between the offensive line and the team's group of running backs.
Johnny Manziel and Isaiah Crowell vs. Seattle front seven
Against the 49ers, Johnny Manziel enjoyed a solid day throwing the football for 270 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
It's no secret the Seahawks defense is considerably better than San Francisco's, so it's fairly safe to say that Manziel will have a tougher time throwing against Seattle.
Still, though, the Seahawks' defensive front would be wise not to underestimate Manziel's scrambling ability. He is the type of quarterback who extends plays and, if left unchecked, this ability can hurt even elite defenses.
The good news is that the Seahawks defense practices against this type of quarterback on a regular basis in Wilson. Also, Seattle's coaching staff won't allow any underestimation of Manziel.
Expect the Seahawks front seven to have a lovely day against Manziel and Cleveland's pass protection.
Unless running back Isaiah Crowell finds a groove, as he did last Sunday against the 49ers.
Crowell gashed San Francisco for 145 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. That is a whopping 7.3 yards per carry, which the Seahawks cannot allow even close to.
And they shouldn't: Seattle's run defense only allows 3.6 yards per carry on the season. They will be prepared to keep Crowell from finding success two weeks in a row.
Matchup X-Factor: Bryce Brown
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At running back, Bryce Brown provides Seattle with a passing option out of the backfield.
And that is why he is this week's X-factor.
Before suffering a season-ending injury, Rawls was averaging 8.4 yards per reception on the year. It's a stat that tells you Rawls was an important and dynamic passing option in the Seahawks offense.
For a running back, averaging more than eight yards per reception is outstanding. Brown won't likely post that kind of production for the Seahawks, but he won't have to.
As long as Brown can make catches and move the chains in crunch time, he'll find a nice role in Seattle's offense this week and beyond.
Rawls and Brown are close in the measurables department—Rawls is 5'10" and 217 pounds, while Brown is 6-feet tall and weighs 223 pounds. This closeness in size theoretically makes Brown a plug-and-play option in the Seahawks offense. Expect Brown to take Rawls' role as a pass-catching threat out of the backfield.
Prediction: Seattle Seahawks 28, Cleveland Browns 10
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The Seahawks will earn their fifth straight victory on Sunday, but unlike in last week's win against the Ravens, Seattle starts off fast.
Expect the Seahawks to target Cleveland's listless run defense early. Seattle wants, and needs, to know how effective Brown and Michael will be now that they've returned to the Seahawks.
Michael will get the bulk of running duties, while Brown finds a niche catching passes out of the backfield. The two of them will combine for 120 yards and two touchdowns—one on the ground and another through the air.
Most of that production on the ground will come after the Seahawks take a commanding lead by way of passing plays from Wilson to Seattle's suddenly explosive receivers. Doug Baldwin continues carving his No. 1 receiver role with a two-touchdown performance.
Seattle's defense, meanwhile, stifles Cleveland's rushing attack and forces Manziel to beat it with his arm, which he won't do. Johnny Football throws an early interception and then a touchdown later in garbage time.
In short, there's no reason to believe the Browns can leave Seattle with a win. Just like last week, the Seahawks need to dominate a lesser opponent and emerge with a convincing win.
Anything less would be a disappointment.
Ethan is a Seattle Seahawks Game Day Corespondent for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @ebai_today for Seahawks coverage and musings about the NFL.
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