The NFL schedule makers gave Packers and Browns fans an extra gift this holiday season: a Christmas Day showdown between two of the league's more storied franchises.
Let's rewind to recent meetings between the teams.
Given the head coaching and quarterback turnover in Cleveland, the series hasn't been competitive in some time. The Packers haven't lost to the Browns since 2005, when Mike Sherman began what was ultimately his final season in Green Bay. In their most recent meeting four years back, the Brett Hundley-led Packers overcame a two-score deficit to edge past the winless Browns in overtime.
With Rodgers starting this time around and the Browns suiting up five former first-round picks, it's safe to say that this year's matchup will see the most collective talent between the two teams in quite some time. Rodgers, himself, has led the Packers to lopsided wins in his two starts against Cleveland. At home and just beginning to get healthy, the odds point starkly in favor of the Packers heading into the Saturday game.
But, with Kevin Stefanski's Browns sitting on the playoff bubble, it may not be a total cake walk for the Packers. Cleveland is undefeated versus the rest of the NFC North this season and has played contenders like the Chiefs and Chargers tough.
On Offense
Saturday's forecast of 33 degrees, light winds and no rain could translate into lots of throwing on first down, as Matt LaFleur leans into the passing game's recent success. However, Green Bay's makeshift offensive line - missing starters David Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers and Billy Turner - will have to contend with a Cleveland defensive front that has stifled talented offenses like those of Minnesota and Baltimore.
If Browns defensive end Myles Garrett plays, backup tackle Yosh Nijman will get his toughest test of the season while protecting Rodgers' blindside. While Nijman has managed to contain big names in Joey Bosa, T.J. Watt and Von Miller, Garrett and his 15 total sacks on the season present a whole other challenge. Expect LaFleur to give Nijman some help with play calling that lends an extra blocker from the backfield or a receiver cracking down from the slot.
It won't be just the Browns' D-line that poses a threat to the Packers' passing game. The pass defense as a whole has been stingy this season, riding a pair of blossoming young cornerbacks in Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome. For this reason, an otherwise pass-happy offensive attack will likely be bridged into a more balanced mix of pass and run. Watch for LaFleur to go after Cleveland's young linebackers with plenty of passes to Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon out of the backfield.
On Defense
Saturday's game will represent the seventh time this season that Green Bay's defense faces a quarterback they've never played before. When healthy, Browns QB Baker Mayfield has been efficient, but hardly game-changing for Cleveland, sporting a quarterback rating of 90.1 in 12 starts this season. Mayfield will be playing his first game in two weeks after being put on the COVID-19 list during Week 15 and, therefore, may require a few drives to get in sync with his supporting cast.
You can be sure that Mayfield won't be the focal point of D-coordinator Joe Barry's game plan, though. The Browns boast a dynamic rushing attack led by Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. When they're both in the lineup, the duo typically consume a collective 30 or more carries, underscoring the importance of the ground game in Stefanski's offensive scheme.
Execution by Barry's front seven will be critical on Saturday, chiefly the battle in the trenches. Without Kenny Clark last week, the defensive line had trouble generating push of any kind against Baltimore's O-line, allowing Tyler Huntley and the Ravens' backfield to move the ball at their preferred tempo and sustain long drives. Vast improvement is needed in this facet of the game against a Browns O-line that has allowed the fifth fewest pressures in the league, according to PFF.
PackerDay Prediction: Packers 26 Browns 20
Comments