Tag: Chargers vs. Browns

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.

7 key Browns players the Chargers must game plan for in Week 5

Highlighting a few players on the Cleveland Browns that could make it difficult for the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Los Angeles Chargers take on the Cleveland Browns this Sunday at 1:05 p.m. PT.

Here are a few players on the Browns that the Bolts must hone in on to come out victorious.

EDGE Myles Garrett & Jadeveon Clowney

The Browns boast a fearsome front that has terrorized opposing backfields every week. But there has not been a player that has done as much damage as Garrett this season. Garrett has seven sacks and 25 quarterback pressures through four games, which rank first and second in the NFL. Rookie Rashawn Slater has quickly established himself not only as a top rookie but one of the better tackles in this league, allowing pressure on just 3.4% of his pass-blocking snaps in 2021 (8th at left tackle). This will be arguably his most challenging matchup yet. Clowney, on the other hand, should pose a threat to right tackle Storm Norton. The veteran pass rusher has totaled 21 pressures, 13 hurries and three sacks.

DT Malik Jackson and Malik McDowell

One of the main reasons Cleveland ranks first in the league in run defense is because of the two men in the middle of the defensive line. Along with doing the dirty work in the trenches to allow their teammates to roam freely to attack ball carriers, Jackson and McDowell have been a nuisance for opposing interior defensive linemen, often seen pushing them five yards into the backfield to collapse the pocket. Between the two, they have combined for 22 pressures and 16 hurries. The Chargers’ interior has been rock-solid for the most part in the first four weeks. However, Matt Feiler has experienced some struggles in pass protection, most notably against the Raiders.

RBs Nick Chubb & Kareem Hunt

After being gashed on the ground the first three weeks of the season, the Chargers only surrendered 48 rushing yards against the Raiders last Monday. While there’s some hope for improvement after the fine-tuned performance, it won’t be an easy task against a Browns backfield that ranks No. 1, averaging 177 yards per game. Chubb ranks second in the league in rushing yards with 362 yards, while Hunt averages 5.4 yards per carry. It all starts with winning the matchups up front to avoid holes from being created, rallying to the football and technically sound tackling.

LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

It doesn’t come around often that rookies make these lists, but the Browns’ second-round pick has been playing out of his mind since stepping on the field. With the combination of his size, speed, instincts and physicality, Owusu-Koramoah has impacted the passing game just as much as he has against the run. He’s already racked up eight run stops on 36 snaps in run defense for the NFL’s highest run-stop percentage at the position, per Pro Football Focus. On top of that, the first-year player leads the team in passes defended (4).

Injury Report: Chargers relatively healthy heading into Week 5 vs. Browns

The Chargers could be getting one of their starting cornerbacks back.

The Chargers had their second practice ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Browns on Thursday.

Here’s a look at today’s injury report:

Running back Justin Jackson was the only non-participant due to a groin issue. If he can’t play this weekend, it’s likely that Joshua Kelley, who’s been inactive since the beginning of the season, will make his 2021 debut.

After being designated to return from the injured reserve, cornerback and special teams ace Ryan Smith has been practicing in full, per head coach Brandon Staley. The team has 12 more days to decide if they’re going to activate him.

Chris Harris Jr., who’s missed the last three games with a shoulder injury, was a full participant. When asked if Harris will be available for this weekend, Staley said, “he is getting close.”

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.

Point spread, over/under for Chargers vs. Browns in Week 5

The Los Angeles Chargers open as slight favorites over the Cleveland Browns.

The Los Angeles Chargers (3-1) are currently 2.5-point favorites over the Cleveland Browns (3-1) heading into Week 5 of the regular season. The over/under is set at 46.5, per Tipico Sportsbook.

The Chargers most recently knocked off the Raiders on Monday night by the score of 28-14 to take the division lead.

After three passing touchdowns from Justin Herbert in the first half, Las Vegas pulled within to make it a one-score game in the third quarter. That would be the last time the Raiders found the end zone after the Chargers picked up steam on defense to contain them the rest of the way out.

Cleveland, on the other hand, held off the Vikings in a low-scoring affair. While quarterback Baker Mayfield struggled to get into a rhythm, the Browns were able to pull away behind a suffocating defensive effort and remarkable running game.

The last time the two teams met was back in 2018. Los Angeles took care of business by the score of 38-14.

Sunday’s contest between the Chargers and Browns will begin at 1:05 p.m. PT and be televised on CBS.