Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns: Keys to victory over the Jets

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 3:23 p.m. ET

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Sep 13, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets safety Calvin Pryor (25) and New York Jets linebacker Demario Davis (56) hit Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown (13) and force a fumble during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Browns are inching closer but have yet to find the elusive first win. If they are to accomplish this Sunday, which areas should they focus on?

Not a whole lot of eyes around the country will be on the Cleveland Browns’ game this week against the New York Jets. Both teams are virtually out of playoff contention and are just playing for pride at this point. For the Browns though, a Week 8 win would be a sigh of relief in what many see as a likely 0-16 season.

The Jets come in at 2-5, sitting in the AFC East cellar. Looking at the Browns’ remaining schedule, it seems that this week’s matchup bodes better for them than any remaining one. Yet somehow, the Jets present a unique challenge that Cleveland will need to respect. Plus, being 0-7, this team can’t take anything for granted.

With that said though, this is likely the most favorable matchup for the Browns remaining in 2016. This alone raises the stakes, as talks of 0-16 will begin to swirl much more around the organization if they fail to pick up a win in the first two months.

In order to win, the Browns will need to pay attention to detail, and play a disciplined game. More specifically, the following slides detail five keys to victory in Week 8.

Oct 23, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Isaiah Crowell (34) carries the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 31-17. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

One of the main questions entering Sunday’s game is who will be taking snaps. If Josh McCown is ready, fans will likely see him play for the first time since Week 2. If he isn’t ready though, it will be rookie Kevin Hogan becoming the 27th Cleveland starting quarterback since 1999.

Regardless, due to the uncertainty at the position, the Browns will need to make the offense as simple as they can for their quarterback. This means that they must stay ahead of the sticks and work manageable third downs.

Of course, this means that the team must run the ball effectively. Play calling will be so critical, since incompletions on first and second down have been costly in past weeks. Isaiah Crowell must continue his productive season, and Duke Johnson needs to get going. Short passes are also effective in staying ahead of the sticks, but they must be sure completions.

One other important factor in this key is avoiding penalties. In past weeks, offensive holding calls or variations of holding have hindered drives. Last week, the team committed three delay of game penalties, on top of all of the false start penalties. These mistakes add up to ruin drives if done in a very untimely manner. For the Browns, they have to limit penalties on offense in order to stay ahead of the sticks so that their drives can be sustained against a tough Jets defense.

Oct 16, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Cleveland Browns tight end Gary Barnidge (82) is tackled by Tennessee Titans inside linebacker Avery Williamson (54) during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

Sustaining drives is a major key to Week 8, but it won’t win the game single-handedly. For a team which struggles defensively, especially giving up quick strikes in the passing game, the Browns offense must keep up. This means that they need to avoid settling for three points.

The Jets rank 26th in red zone defense, surrendering a touchdown on 64.7 percent of opponents’ red zone trips. This must be exploited by the Browns. Cleveland can do this by sticking with the game plan which allows them to sustain drives once they get inside the 20-yard line.

But they won’t always be able to run the ball. New York gives up the second fewest rushing yards in football, and are especially tough in the red zone. While Cleveland can’t become predictable, they must take advantage of the Jets pass defense, which surrenders the sixth most passing yards in football.

Terrelle Pryor and Gary Barnidge will be the primary targets in the red zone, as always. Quick and simple routes will be best as the team must cash in when they are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to. The math works out when the Browns score sevens instead of threes.

Oct 23, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill (32) runs against Cleveland Browns outside linebacker Emmanuel Ogbah (90) and defensive end Carl Nassib (94) during the second half at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 31-17. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

The Jets offense has struggled immensely in 2016. While they have the 19th most total yards, they have scored the fourth fewest points. This is mostly due to their issues turning the ball over and their inability to run the ball. After Geno Smith‘s injury last week, Ryan Fitzpatrick returns to the position on Sunday.

The one way the Jets can move the ball is with running backs Matt Forte and Bilal Powell. Their running game sets up a play-action game, which can be productive if Fitzpatrick has a pocket. If he doesn’t though, the results are catastrophic for New York’s offense.

This is why the Browns must rush the passer whenever they get the opportunity. Fitzpatrick is far from mobile, and when he exits the pocket, he is a much less efficient passer. He is also much more prone to turning the ball over when rushed.

Collapsing the pocket is the first step to forcing incompletions and possible turnovers. In order to do this, the young Cleveland pass rushers will need to step up again, and defensive coordinator Ray Horton will have to be very aggressive. Expect Carl Nassib, Emmanuel Ogbah and Danny Shelton to be vital in breaking down the pocket and throwing the Jets’ passing attack off-balance. If they do this successfully, the Browns will dominate in the turnover battle, time of possession, and the field position battle.

Sep 13, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) is tackled by Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden (23) during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

The middle of the field has been a danger zone for the Browns secondary in recent weeks. This is partially due to the undersized nature of their safeties and cornerbacks, as well as the big targets they have faced recently who have the ability to dominate over the middle. These struggles came to a head against Cincinnati on Sunday, when the Browns surrendered 308 yards through the air. Much of this damage was done in the middle of the field.

To improve this, the Browns must perform better as a unit. The Jets are not particularly deep at the receiving position, which is part of the reason for their struggles. But much like the Patriots and Bengals, New York has big targets which thrive in the middle of the field. Kellen Davis and Brandon Marshall have the ability to dominate the Browns with their superior size and receiving skills.

Tight ends have given the 29th ranked Cleveland passing defense fits so far this season. Fortunately though, this matchup works well for the Browns since the Jets lack depth. If the secondary can shut down Davis and Marshall collectively, they will put themselves in good positions to be able to rush the passer more. This will lead to a domino effect which bodes well for the defense.

Another part of defending the middle of the field more effectively is solid tackling. Missed tackles have led to extra yardage in the past two weeks, yards that demoralize an already struggling defense.

Oct 23, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green (18) catches a pass for a touchdown as he is defended by Cleveland Browns strong safety Ibraheim Campbell (24) and strong safety Ibraheim Campbell (24) in the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

If the Browns are successful in effectively achieving all of these keys, it will be hard for them to lose. But still, they can’t break down in any area at the wrong time. Last week, giving up a Hail Mary pass at the end of the first half to A.J. Green was one moment where the team took the final minute before halftime for granted. These types of lapses are what makes the difference in a tight game.

Also, the defense and special teams must avoid 40-plus-yard plays. Four of these harmed the Browns in Week 7, three of them going for scores. Theoretically, this could have been the difference in the game. 40-plus-yard plays also accounted for almost half of Cincinnati’s 559-yard explosion. Avoiding these plays begins with taking nothing for granted, and focusing hard on defense to steer clear of bad angles and missed tackles.

In a game like this, a play at the end could make the difference. Both teams have struggled on offense at times, and have really failed to slow opposing passing attacks. In a close, low scoring contest, attention to detail is paramount. Taking nothing for granted is part of this, as the Browns must go into every play with the attitude that it will be the difference. If they don’t, they may be staring at an 0-8 start, and another Sunday of misery.