The Philadelphia Eagles will play the Cleveland Browns in the early window on Sunday as both teams look to get back on the right track. The Eagles had their much-needed bye week last week but lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 33-16 the week prior.
Meanwhile, the Browns are coming off a loss to the Washington Commanders with a score of 34-13, where the offense could not get things started. Both teams will come into Sunday desperate for a win, with the Eagles sitting at 2-2 and the Browns at 1-4.
Outside of Myles Garrett and some other bright spots on defense, the Browns have struggled to gain positive momentum this season. A significant part of that is the offense, averaging the fewest yards per game and 30th in points. Those struggles, in large part, have come with the play of quarterback Deshaun Watson, who is 32nd out of 53 eligible quarterbacks with a grade of 63.1.
The Eagles defense has had their ups and downs this season, but this is the perfect get-right spot for the unit coming off a bye week. However, the Eagles offense will be the main focus this week as help is on the way.
Much Needed Reinforcements
The offense will get some much-needed help on Sunday. A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Lane Johnson all return after absences. Smith and Johnson missed one game, while Brown missed three. It is a welcomed return after the passing attack struggled without its top two targets. And everyone knows the stats for the Eagles with and without Lane Johnson.
The team is 91-54-1 with him on the field and 14-23 without him. There is a staggering difference, which is evident every time this team takes the field. Fred Johnson struggled against the Buccaneers, but the Eagles would be 1-3 without his tremendous performance against the Saints. That is more than you can ask from a backup tackle.
As for the receivers, they will step in against a top-ten passing defense in the Browns. However, they could be without Denzel Ward on Sunday. Their defense has been much more susceptible against the run, ranking 24th in rushing yards allowed per game. Still, Smith and Brown will be welcome additions to take some pressure off of Saquon Barkley. Those three will significantly improve an offense that has been middle of the road the past couple of weeks but will be elevated back to the top against Cleveland.
Ball Security
Turnovers have been the Eagles’ worst enemy thus far this season. The team is tied for the third most giveaways despite playing fewer games than everyone above them besides the Tennessee Titans. Most of that has been on Jalen Hurts, who needs to be more careful with the ball. Hopefully, that was a focus during the time off. Hurts leads the NFL in turnover-worthy plays with eleven. Hurts had sixteen turnover-worthy plays all of last year. His career high is 23, and he will blow by that number at this rate.
If Hurts cuts the turnovers, this team will be able to make a run in the playoffs. With a turnover percentage of 6.7 percent, Hurts should expect some regression to the mean. It is not a guarantee, but he has shown he can limit turnovers in the past. After watching his recent play, Hurts has to prove some new doubters wrong. I am not one of them, but the quarterback has had better days.
Prediction
This game between the Eagles and Browns will significantly affect both teams’ seasons. The loss would drop the Eagles to under .500, while the Browns would have a 1-5 record. A loss could derail either team’s season; for the Eagles, it would be a massive hit to team morale. For the Browns, a loss would make it very difficult for them to make the playoffs.
The Eagles are a more complete football team, yet both teams have struggles. However, the Eagles were missing key players, while the Browns haven’t clicked correctly. My prediction for this game is that the Eagles will get back on track with a 34-17 win over the Browns. Cleveland needs to start looking towards the future, with rumors of trades in the air. The end of this group may be coming to an abrupt end as soon as this season.
Deshaun Watson has been a shell of his former self, and now is a perfect time for Cooper DeJean to get his first start as the slot corner. The defense will bounce back in a big way on the way to a win while giving up some garbage time points.
This matchup could also be a huge confidence boost for the struggling defensive line. Cleveland is averaging the most sacks allowed in the league at 5.2 per game. The matchup at home could be the perfect situation to boost multiple units’ confidence. Look for Lincoln Financial Field to be rocking on Sunday with a crowd that needs a celebration, having one in a big way after the Phillies loss.
