Tag: Chargers vs. Browns prediction

Who are the experts taking in Chargers vs. Browns?

Find out who national pundits are favoring in the matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Cleveland Browns.

The Los Angeles Chargers are considered 2.5-point favorites over the Cleveland Browns in Week 5 of the 2021 season. The over/under is set to 46.5 points, per Tipico Sportsbook.

That means oddsmakers are taking bets on whether the two teams will combine to score more than or fewer than 46.5 points.

My score prediction for the game is a 24-17 win for the Chargers, with a combined total of 41 points. So if I was putting money behind my prediction, I’d bet the over.

As for game picks, the majority of analysts are favoring Los Angeles.

Expert Pick
Nate Davis (USA Today) Browns
Mike Jones (USA Today) Chargers
Mike Clay (ESPN) Chargers
Matt Bowen (ESPN) Chargers
Pete Prisco (CBS Sports) Chargers
Jared Dubin (CBS Sports) Chargers
Gregg Rosenthal (NFL Media) Chargers
Bleacher Report Chargers

Sunday’s game will begin at 1:05 p.m. PT and will be televised on CBS.

Who wins Week 5 matchup between Chargers, Browns?

Vote for who you believe wins the Week 5 matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Cleveland Browns.

The Chargers are set to face the Browns on Sunday afternoon, where Los Angeles will look to pick up their third consecutive victory and improve to 4-1. However, it won’t be a gimme facing a Cleveland team that is also seeking superiority in their own division.

The Bolts most recently knocked off the Raiders this past Monday night by the score of 28-14, led by a balanced performance on both sides of the ball. After a slow start, quarterback Justin Herbert has seven touchdowns and no turnovers the past two weeks, along with a 116.3 passer rating.

Cleveland, on the other hand, held off the Vikings in a low-scoring affair, 14-7. While quarterback Baker Mayfield has struggled the past two games, the Browns have been able to hold their own behind a suffocating defense and remarkable running game.

Can the Chargers keep things rolling? Or will the Browns find a way to slow Herbert and put up enough points against head coach Brandon Staley’s dominant defense to come out victorious?

Who wins on Sunday?

Place your vote below.

[crowdsignal poll=10937669]

Keys to a Chargers’ victory over Browns in Week 5

Highlighting what the Los Angeles Chargers must do in order to capture their third-straight victory.

The Chargers are set to face off against the Browns on Sunday afternoon.

There are a few things that Los Angeles will need to do in order to secure a victory in Week 5.

Despite the offensive success that the team has had through the first four weeks, the Chargers are set to face the NFL’s top-ranked defense. With a fearsome Browns front that is eager to disrupt QB Justin Herbert early and often, the line will need to be on their A-game to give the young signal-caller time to throw, which likely means plenty of max protections, double teams, and chip blocks to play down the pressure. By buying him even the slightest time in the pocket, Herbert should prosper, given how well he’s been under offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi calling the shots coupled with his immense arm talent and the number of skill players for Cleveland to defend, especially with a defensive backfield that will be without starting cornerback Greg Newsome.

Defensively, first and foremost, Los Angeles needs to stop the Browns’ ground game, which ranks No. 1 in the league. Even though L.A. is 30th in rushing yards per game (139.5), they’re coming off a performance where they held the Raiders to only 48 yards. If the Bolts can replicate that as much as possible, that will force a struggling QB Baker Mayfield, who is dealing with a shoulder issue, to throw the ball. Each week, the Chargers have shown the ability to make opposing quarterbacks non-factors under head coach Brandon Staley’s defense and their formidable secondary and pass rush. On top of that, the Browns will be without starting tackles Jedrick Wills, Chris Hubbard, and wide receiver Jarvis Landry.

4 key things to know about Chargers’ Week 5 opponent: Browns

Highlighting important things to know about the Chargers’ opponent ahead of Week 5.

Following a victory against the Raiders, the Chargers are set to take on the Browns in hopes of picking up their third-straight win on Sunday, Oct. 10 at 1:05 pm PT.

Here are five key things to know about Los Angeles’ opponent ahead of the Week 5 bout:

Slow start

Quarterback Baker Mayfield’s 2021 season hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. Through four games, he has only thrown two touchdowns, which is tied for the second-lowest. In addition, he is coming off arguably his worst game in almost a year, in which he completed only 15 of 33 passes for 155 yards against the Vikings. There are a couple of directions his recent struggles could point to, one of which could be because he is playing with a partially torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder that he sustained in Week 2 against the Texans. Maybe the absence of wide receiver Jarvis Landry, who’s on injured reserve with a knee injury, is playing a role in his woes.

Running wild

Stopping the run has not been the Chargers’ forte, and now they are tasked with slowing arguably the league’s most dangerous rushing attacks, which is averaging 177 yards per game. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt make up the one-two punch. Chubb ranks second in the league in rushing yards with 362 yards, while Hunt is averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Bringing them down is not easy by any means, as they are among the best at generating yards after contact.

Championship-caliber defense

The Chargers have one of the better defenses in the league, but the Browns find themselves in the rare elite category. After finishing 19th in defensive efficiency, Cleveland boasts a unit that’s only allowed 16.8 points per game (4th), 250.2 yards per game (2nd), 183.8 passing yards per game (3rd) and 66.5 rushing yards per game (66.5).

Pressure makes the diamonds

A big part of the Browns’ defensive success comes from having an elite front. Leading the NFL in pass-rush win rate, edge defender Myles Garrett has contributed to a lot of their destruction, as he has the most sacks (6) and quarterback pressures (25). Opposite Garrett is Jadeveon Clowney, who’s proving that he was worth the signing, sitting with a 17.4% pressure, which would be his career-high. Inside of those two are Malik Jackson and Malik McDowell, who have dominated opposing linemen, consistently pushing them five yards into the backfield. Two weeks ago, the group sacked Bears QB Justin Fields nine times.