Cleveland Browns vs. Seattle Seahawks: What's the Game Plan for Seattle?

The Seattle Seahawks take on the Cleveland Browns at CenturyLink Field this Sunday, and it's seemingly the first time in weeks that the Seahawks aren't playing a high-stakes game. 

Don't tell that to little Daylon here, though. This dude was born to be a Seahawks fan:

The stakes this weekend aren't that high—Seattle has a firm grip on a spot in the NFC playoff picture, and a loss wouldn't change that. 

But a defeat at the hands of Johnny Manziel and the Browns would be deflating, especially with the recent resurgence the Seahawks have put on display in the last month or so. 

Don't worry; Seattle won't allow a loss at home to an inferior opponent. With that being said, let's get into what a winning game plan might look like for the Seahawks this weekend. 

Offensive Game Plan

The Seahawks should have one main objective that comes before anything else on offense this weekend—fine-tuning their running game that is missing Marshawn Lynch and rookie Thomas Rawls. 

Let's not go quite that far, Julianna, although it's OK for the 12th Man to be a little nervous about Seattle's current backfield. 

The Seahawks' running back group, which now includes Bryce Brown and familiar face Christine Michael, lacks the punching power it had before Rawls suffered a season-ending ankle injury. 

But that's not to say it can't be effective. And, with the Browns run defense on the horizon, Seattle couldn't ask for a better matchup to initiate its new ground game. Cleveland has allowed opponents to rush for at least 100 yards 10 times this season. 

The Browns have lost eight of those 10 games.

Reaching 100 yards on the ground has been a winning game plan for Cleveland's opponents this year, and the Seahawks are no different. 

What do Brown and Michael bring to the table? Let's start with Michael, a former Seahawk.

As the video below demonstrates, Michael isn't the fastest running back, but he runs hard. Also, watch how Michael sidesteps Atlanta blitzers and cuts back to the hole for a big gain:

Brown, meanwhile, provides Seattle with a nice option to throw to out of the backfield. He won't be a three-down, all-purpose running back in Seattle's offense. But his skill set is niche, and the Seahawks will integrate it into their offensive scheme. 

Brown had a relatively productive career as a Philadelphia Eagle. Take a look at the highlight reel below to see some of his best moments:

Again, expect Brown to see more time as a receiver out of the backfield than as a feature back in this offense—Michael should get the bulk of Seattle's carries based on scheme and system familiarity, if nothing else. 

Not only is this weekend's matchup against the Browns favorable for these two running backs, but they also will benefit from a resurgent Seahawks offensive line. 

The 12th Man can praise O-line coach Tom Cable for the group's serious in-season improvement:

The Seahawks, despite having one of the franchise's most prolific passing offenses in history, will lead with their running game Sunday. They need to know exactly how the tandem of Brown and Michael will work together going forward, and Cleveland is the perfect opponent for Seattle to test its new backfield on.

Look for a big day from both backs. 

Defensive Game Plan

In its last two games, Seattle has done a tremendous job on defense of making opponents one-sided. 

The team will employ that same strategy against the Browns. 

Last week, Cleveland running back Isaiah Crowell ran all over the San Francisco 49ers. His 174-yard day helped the Browns secure their third win of the season. 

Crowell is a legitimate weapon—take a look at how he bursts through the line of scrimmage on this highlight on FatmanWriting.com of a 54-yard run, the longest by a Browns runner since 2010.

The difference this week for Crowell? There won't be those types of holes along the Seahawks defensive line. Seattle has been one of the best run-stopping teams in football this season, allowing 3.6 yards per carry and less than 84 rushing yards per game.

That means that it will only be a matter of time until Manziel will have to carry the Browns on his back.

And that's one heavy load. 

The Seahawks secondary will be hungry to pitch a shutout after allowing 274 passing yards to Baltimore Ravens quarterback Jimmy Clausen a week ago. 

Look for Seattle's secondary to capitalize on poor throws such as this one from Clausen last week:

The Seahawks will create these opportunities by shutting down Crowell early. Ironically enough, defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin (a former Brown) will look to be a force against his old team in the middle of the defensive line.

Key Matchups

Seattle Running Backs vs. Cleveland Defensive Front

As mentioned earlier, Week 15 presents a fantastic opportunity for the Seahawks' "new" runners to get in rhythm with Seattle's offensive line.

And it's important that they do so—there are no excuses for the Seahawks to have any trouble running the ball Sunday. Running the ball first is the Seahawks' brand of football, even if Russell Wilson's recent historic passing streak suggests otherwise. 

This game should be more about fine-tuning Seattle's ground attack in preparation for postseason competition, and that starts with a dominant performance against the Browns. 

And that, of course, starts with a dominant performance up front by the Seahawks' surging offensive line. The following tweet from Brian Nemhauser of Hawkblogger highlights the turnaround of right tackle Garry Gilliam this season, which is also quite representative of the line's improvement as a whole:

Look for Gilliam and the rest of the Seahawks offensive line to seal the edges and create big holes for Seattle's runners against the Browns. If they do, the Seahawks should have no issue controlling this game from the very beginning. 

Isaiah Crowell vs. Seattle Front Seven

This matchup is simple to talk about, but its simplicity doesn't undermine its importance. 

Stop Crowell, and the Seahawks dominate this game; fail to stop Crowell, and Cleveland will have a shot at stealing this game in front of the 12th Man.

Thankfully for Seattle, the Seahawks have one of the best defensive fronts in football.

Outside linebackers Bobby Wagner and Bruce Irvin have flown to ball-carriers during the last month, while rookie Frank Clark and veterans Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril have wreaked havoc along the defensive line.

There's little reason to believe that the Browns will have success running the ball against Seattle—Cleveland has rushed for 100 or more yards only five times this season and for 40 or fewer yards three times.

The Browns are not efficient runners.

So, when it eventually becomes time for Manziel to put the game on his shoulders, the Seahawks secondary will feast. Expect Johnny Football to throw at least one interception, followed by a reaction similar to this one:

Microsoft's tablet operating system might be frustrating, but it's the Seahawks defense that will have Manziel flustered come Sunday. 

Prediction: Seahawks 28, Browns 10

The Browns and Seahawks will both enter this game with similar game plans, but Seattle will be the only one to find any success.

Brown and Michael combine for 120 rushing yards and two scores. Michael finds the end zone on the ground, while Brown catches a Wilson touchdown pass. 

The Browns lean heavily on Crowell, but Seattle is well-prepared and stifles Cleveland's ground attack. That will be when this game begins getting out of hand. 

Manziel finds some success throwing the football thanks to his athletic ability to escape pass-rushers, but he throws an interception after too much improvisation. Safety Earl Thomas comes up with the pick. 

Clark also notches two sacks in the game. 

Wilson, meanwhile, throws for 250 yards and three touchdowns. Wideouts Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett each catch a score, proving to be too much for the Browns secondary. Seattle's passing offense continues its hot streak into late December.

The Browns are a tougher opponent than the Ravens but not by much. The Seahawks coaching staff has its team prepared to win in dominant fashion against an opponent it should crush, and that's exactly what the Seahawks do. 

Seattle earns a convincing win for the third straight week. 

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

Ethan is a game-day correspondent for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @ebai_today for Seahawks coverage and musings about the NFL.